


Are You That Somebody?

by BirdOfHermes



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya Needs a Hug, Banter, Bisexual Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya, Bisexuality, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Confessions, Consensual Kink, Creampie, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cunnilingus, Explicit Consent, Falling In Love, Fingerfucking, Friends With Benefits, Hurt Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Lingerie, Love Confessions, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, Naked Cuddling, Office Sex, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory, Post-Coital Cuddling, Praise Kink, Rough Oral Sex, Secretary Reader, Smut, Sweet/Hot, Top Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya, Verbal Sex, Voice Kink, personal assistant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:28:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: After a chance meeting where you saved his life, Alucard Tepes has an interesting proposition for you. He is in need of a personal assistant as well as a blood donor. There's just one catch. Alucard becomes aroused during his feedings. You have to ask yourself how far you're willing to go to be the perfect assistant.Based partially on the premise of josei manga Midnight Secretary by Tomu Ohmi. Castlevania modern AU.
Relationships: Alucard (Castlevania)/Reader, Alucard (castlevania)/original female character, Alucard/Reader, Trevor Belmont | Alucard/Trevor Belmont | Alucard, Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades
Comments: 105
Kudos: 501





	1. The Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I...don't even know? I need to kill time and I'm still thirsty for Alucard. Plus, Alucard needs hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. Preferably while naked. 
> 
> So let's see where this goes, I guess? Hope you don't hate it.
> 
> And happy 100th fic to yours truly.

_Boy, I've been watching you like the hawk in the sky  
That fly and you were my prey (my prey)  
Boy, I promise you if we keep bumpin' heads  
I know that one of these days (days)  
We gon' hook it up while we talk on the phone  
But see, I don't know if that's good  
I've been holdin' back this secret from you  
I probably shouldn't tell it, but_

_If I, if I let you know  
You can't tell nobody  
I'm talkin' 'bout nobody  
Are you responsible?  
Boy I gotta watch my back  
'Cause I'm not just anybody  
Is it my go? Is it your go?  
Sometimes I'm goody-goody  
Right now naughty-naughty  
Say yes or say no  
'Cause I really need somebody  
Tell me are you that somebody?_

_-“Are You That Somebody?” by Aaliyah_

__

I met the most beautiful man in the world in a bar.

I know how that sounds. Pretty cliché, right? Trust me, it’s not as if I expected as much. In my defense, the story of how we met was also the furthest thing from cliché.

I’d been coming to this bar weekly for the better part of a year, since my last breakup. It had a nice atmosphere and the patrons were mostly friendly and the drinks were both unique and fairly priced. I usually sat in a booth in the corner to read and drink until about midnight, then I’d head home, shower, and go to bed. It became a comforting routine after a point.

Then he walked in.

It was a funny thing the first time he showed up. I’d been reading when it felt as if my ears just popped and the room filled with a strange energy. I didn’t know why until I glanced up to see him glide in from the outside.

Alucard Tepes.

One of the richest men in the city.

Also, a vampire.

Also, also the son of Vlad Tepes, the most famous vampire in existence. Well. Up until he abruptly stopped existing. Long story.

Alucard had inherited his mother’s looks: long, golden hair, amber eyes, pale skin, and devastatingly soft features somehow perfectly balanced by his father’s masculine bone structure. It was winter, so he had a white scarf around his neck over a peacoat that cost more than three times my salary, a white dress shirt, and black slacks. He took the corner seat at the bar and pulled off his gloves. I watched him order a drink and then pull a thick paperback from the pocket of his peacoat. To my surprise, he did the same thing as me—read his book and quietly drank, not making conversation with the bartender or anyone around him. Interesting.

Fate had other plans for him, though.

It didn’t take more than about ten minutes. Girls flocked to his side and tried to butter him up. He engaged them for a minute or two, but one by one, they left disappointed. Curious. Alucard was both famous and infamous. From the last bit of gossip I’d seen in passing, he wasn’t in a relationship. Why turn down future dates? He could have any woman he wanted with those looks and all that money.

But hey, none of my business.

I saw him every Saturday night for two months, always the same: drinking and reading, politely declining the advances of the women around him.

Until the night we met.

Midnight came. I paid for my drinks and walked out to my car. I’d gotten in and strapped on my seatbelt, about to leave, when something caught my eye in the sideview mirror. Movement. Unusual movement, in fact.

Frowning, I adjusted until I could see towards the back of the parking lot. The front was well-lit, but not the whole thing. Four men had huddled around someone on the ground. My God, they were beating someone up. Another car’s headlights passed by and I saw a splash of gold. My jaw dropped.

It was Alucard.

I fired up my engine and whipped out of the parking space, punching it until I turned the corner to face them. I blasted the horn and the men glared at me. Their eyes glowed. Their lips parted, revealing fangs. Shit. It was the rowdy guys I’d seen here a few times before. Alucard lay on his side with his back to the fence, bloodied and bruised, his eyes just barely open. They’d beat him badly. And it didn’t look they were going to stop any time soon.

Something about seeing him lying there alone, hurt, among the trash, made me snap.

I hit the gas.

Their bodies made very satisfying ‘thunk’ noises against the front of my car.

I wasted no time; the second after I slammed into the small throng, I threw my passenger’s side door open and shouted, “Get in!” at Alucard. The floored vampire dragged himself up into the seat and pulled the door shut just in time. I gunned it out of the parking lot before the bowled over vampires could give chase.

“Hang on,” I told him. “I’ll get you to a hospital.”

“No…hospitals,” Alucard rasped. “Not…safe.”

I stiffened. “Oh no. Are you—”

“Not yet, but I’m close.”

I cursed. “Okay, I’ll take you to my place. Rest.”

“Thank you.” Then he passed out cold in the seat.

Shit. What a night.

* * *

Alucard woke up on my couch about four hours later. His long lashes fluttered and he groaned groggily. By now, his wounds had healed on their own, but the residual pain from the strain still lingered. He took a few shallow breaths and then opened his eyes. I reached into the cooler until I found a blood pack, then offered it to him. “Here. It’s O positive.”

The vampire pushed up until his back rested against the pillow and accepted the blood pack, frowning in confusion, but it only took him a second to pop it open and drain it dry. He finished it in under a minute and then wiped his bloody lips, his voice hoarse. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I took the empty pack and threw it away in the kitchen trashcan. “How do you feel?”

A wry smile touched his lips after he licked them clean. “Sore.”

“I bet,” I said as I sat on the edge of coffee table. “They worked you over pretty good. Any idea why?”

Alucard rubbed his forehead. “Something about an old girlfriend. She dumped the ringleader and offered to be my donor. I turned her down. He took offense.”

I snorted softly. “Wow. You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

He shrugged. “It comes with the territory, unfortunately.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Not really.”

“Correction: it comes with the territory being the son of Vlad Tepes,” he said in a rather self-deprecating tone. “I am not well-liked in many circles.”

“Even so, you might want to hire a bodyguard for a while.”

His amber eyes narrowed. “I believe you are the one who hit them with your car. Perhaps you are the one who will be needing protection for the time being.”

“I had my high beams on. I doubt they saw my face.”

“They may have caught your license plate.”

“True. However, given my salary, it’s not exactly within my budget to hire a bodyguard.”

“I would be more than willing to pay for it considering the fact that you saved my life.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. I can take care of myself.”

“I am beginning to sense that,” he said wryly. “You took me in knowing that I was close to turning feral. Where did the blood packs come from?”

“I keep frozen emergencies packs. Some of my friends are vampires.”

“I see.” His gaze roamed over me and then our eyes met again. All traces of humor left him. “Why did you save me?”

“You were in trouble.”

“You could have called the police.”

“They’d have killed you long before the cops arrived. Besides, the police have a long history of oppressing vampires as well as minorities. I don’t trust them.”

Alucard’s expression hardened. “Those vampires could have killed you as well. Or worse.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know. No one was going to do it if I didn’t and I wasn’t about to go the rest of my life thinking about that time I could have stopped a murder and didn’t.”

He cocked his head slightly, his stare still scrutinizing. “I believe you…mostly. You are still not telling me the whole truth.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re not my priest, Alucard. I don’t have to tell you the whole truth.”

“I suppose not.” He glanced down at his hand and flexed his fingers. “My strength is returning. I should leave soon.”

“Sure. Do you want a blood pack for the road?”

“No, thank you. It does not take much for me to return to normal.”

“If I may ask, why did you let yourself get so close to going feral? You seem like a man who knows better.”

“You are not my priest,” he said in a dry tone. “I am not obligated to disclose that to you.”

I chuckled. “Fine. Just saying. You should find a donor soon so it doesn’t happen again.”

I stood and grabbed his peacoat and scarf from where they hung on my chair by the breakfast nook. I felt a gentle breeze behind me. Air displacement.

When I turned, Alucard stood directly behind me, inches away. I kept still, staring up at him as he placed his hands on either side of me, propped on the counter. He cocked his head, his long blond locks stirring with the movement and brushing my shoulders from how close he stood to me.

“You are not afraid of me,” he whispered. “Why?”

I folded his coat over one arm. “I told you; I have friends who are vampires. I’m used to being around them.”

“I am a stranger in your home,” he murmured. “We are alone. I am a thousand times stronger and faster than you. I could have you now and you would be able to do nothing about it. Yet your heart rate has not increased. It is steady. You are calm. I find that unnatural.”

“What are you implying, Alucard?”

He glared at me. “Did you set me up at the bar?”

I blinked at him rapidly. “Did I what?”

“The only reason for a woman to allow an unknown vampire into her home, risk her life, and yet be unafraid of him is that she is the reason for the recent incident.”

I shook my head. “Boy, you’ve been burned before in the past, haven’t you? That’s not why.”

“Please enlighten me.”

I sighed. “Fine. I know who you are. Look.”

I gestured to the bookcase against the far wall. He eyed me for a second, then strode over to examine my shelves. He scanned it for a moment and then replied, “You are a fan of my writing?”

“Yes,” I said, my cheeks flushing with heat. “And your publishing company makes some of my favorite books. I know what the tabloids have said about you, but your work has told me at least part of who you are. It’s some of the best fiction I’ve ever read. I couldn’t stand by and watch one of my favorite authors be pummeled to death by a bunch of thugs.”

“Mm.” He walked over and took his peacoat from me, donning it. He looped the scarf around his neck and continued that penetrative stare of his. “You are a strange one, you know.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“You mentioned your salary. What is it that you do for a living?”

“I’m an administrative assistant for the state school downtown.”

“Mm,” he said again, as if contemplating something. “Do you have a card?”

I gave him a funny look, but grabbed one out of my purse. He scanned it and repeated my name to me. It sounded wonderful with that warm honey voice of his. I wanted him to say it a few more times.

“Tell me,” he said as he tucked it into the pocket of his coat. “Do you like working there?”

“It’s alright. Nothing to write home about.”

“I see.” He offered his hand. “Thank you for saving my life. I am in your debt.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, shaking his hand. “But please don’t think of it that way. I don’t want you to feel indebted to me. I did it because it was right, not out of expectation of any reward or to have a hold over you.”

“Then you are as kind as you are beautiful,” he said in return, lifting my hand to his mouth and kissing the back of it. I blushed profusely. “I apologize for my earlier accusation. I did not mean to insult your character.”

“You had reason to be suspicious. Forget it.”

Alucard smiled softly. “I am afraid I cannot do that, but thank you for offering.”

I walked him to the door. He stopped once more and bowed his head to me. “Have a good evening, madam.”

“Be safe, Alucard.”

“Vampires are never safe.”

I shook my head, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “Be careful, then, Alucard.”

“Better. I shall try.” And with that, he was gone.

* * *

“Excuse me, miss?”

The next morning at work, I glanced up from my computer screen to see a guy in a delivery uniform.

Holding a huge, colorful bouquet of roses.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Is this suite 1224?”

“Yes, why?”

He handed me the electronic pad. “Sign here, please.”

Baffled, I gave him my John Hancock and he gave me the vase of flowers. “These are for you.”

He then dragged forward a rolling palette. There were six more flower arrangements on it: petunias, lilies, tulips, snapdragons, irises, and sunflowers. “So are these.”

I sputtered. “What? From who?”

He gestured to the vase of roses in my hand. I flipped it around and found a small card, plucking it off and opening it.

_I did not know your favorite kind of flower, so I decided one of each should suffice._

_Yours,_

_Alucard_

I shook my head in disbelief. “That _would_ sound like the solution to this idiot.”

I gestured to the rest of my cubicle. “Sorry about all of this. You can just put them wherever they fit, thank you.”

The delivery guy saluted me and then filled my office space with the fresh flowers, which I had to admit were gorgeously arranged. My little cubicle smelled wonderful by the time he was done.

Then, right after he left, my office phone rang. I answered.

“Good morning, madam,” Alucard said. “I have a proposition for you.”


	2. The Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Alucard's call, you go to see what he has in store for you. And it's quite the proposition.

“What the hell am I doing?” I moaned as I stared up at the towering skyscraper before me with Fahrenheit Publishing in enormous golden script across the front. I checked my watch. The Uber hadn’t taken too long. I’d need to be back at my desk by the end of the hour, so hopefully Alucard would keep things short. It was bad enough I was using my lunch break for my job to talk about another job.

Was it a bad idea? Yeah, probably. But it wasn’t every day your freaking favorite author called you to discuss a business arrangement. And unlike my state school employer, Alucard’s pockets were deep. Really, really deep. He could probably pay me thrice over what I made at my current job, so I stuffed down my anxiety and walked inside.

I rode up to the fourteenth floor and greeted the front desk attendant, who paged Alucard for me. She was a cutie pie, probably just barely drinking age, with curly hair and freckles over her light brown skin. She opened the door to his office for me and I thanked her, walking inside.

Good gravy. His office was bigger than my entire apartment.

His massive desk stood stark against the window behind him. The left wall had nothing but floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that had a mixture of his work, his publishing company’s work, and all kinds of other collections. He had an expensive but comfortable-looking lounge chair in front of an actual goddamn fireplace on the opposite wall, filling the room with natural warmth. There was a flat screen television almost the size of a freaking movie screen above the fireplace. I spotted a closed door to the left of it and realized it was probably a private bathroom.

Wow. So this was how the other side lived.

Alucard sat at his desk in front of his Mac, frowning down at whatever he was typing. He heard the door close and glanced up at me, his expression softening somewhat. “Thank you for joining me. Have a seat.”

I strode over to the desk and sat, folding my hands in my lap and crossing my ankles. “Thank you for having me. What is it that you had in mind, Mr. Tepes?”

“I prefer Alucard,” he said.

I nodded. “Alucard, then.”

He stood and walked around his desk to the front, leaning against it and crossing his arms. “How much do you know about my company?”

“I know a few things in passing,” I told him. “Read some articles about its expansion.”

“Good. We are expanding to distribute more books internationally and acquiring more authors, particularly people of color. As such, I have realized that maintaining my schedule would require more than a part time assistant as I have used in the past. I would prefer a full time personal assistant to maintain my affairs.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Oh. Well, that’s an easy enough position to fill. If you don’t mind me asking, why me? The girl out there seems to have everything together.”

Alucard took a deep breath. “That is perhaps because there are other…requirements for the position that I am afraid are mandatory.”

“Such as?”

“Before I explain, I must remind you that the business we conduct is to remain private. Do you agree to those terms?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir. Of course.”

Alucard uncrossed his arms and sighed, glancing away. “You asked why I would risk going feral so foolishly. It was…not my intention. I had a donor, but I lost him recently. I thought it would be easy to replace him, but I have struggled with finding someone else. I had intended to acquire blood on the way home from the bar last night. I am not one of the vampires who likes multiple partners. I prefer one source, as my Hunger comes around roughly once per month.”

He licked his lips, wincing a bit. “And I am the sort of vampire who becomes… _amorous_ at the time of the feedings with fresh blood.”

“Oh,” I said meekly. “Hence the discretion.”

“Yes,” he said. “I have played the field before, but I find it taxing. I would like a permanent donor, or at the very least, one who is willing to stay with me long term. It is for this reason that I have not posted this position on the usual employment channels. Referrals only.”

He met my eyes. “And last night, you proved that you would be a valuable asset to me.”

Alucard paused and then added, “If that is something that you want.”

I chewed my bottom lip. “This is quite the offer. How…”

I cleared my throat, blushing. “…amorous are we talking, exactly?”

“My preference is to take from my donor while they are achieving orgasm.”

I blushed much, much harder. “R-Right, I’ve heard that the blood tastes better that way. Is that from simple stimulation or penetrative sex?”

“It can be either.”

“But do you have a preference?”

“With my last donor, it was stimulation only. The one before him, penetrative sex. I leave it to the donor to decide their comfort levels and boundaries.”

I gave him a hard look. “I appreciate that, but you did not answer the question.”

Alucard exhaled. “Very well. With men, I prefer stimulation only. With women, I prefer penetrative sex.”

I took a deep breath. “So if I accepted this position, I would be expected to sleep with you when you fed.”

“Yes.”

I swallowed hard. “Helluva job offer.”

Alucard smiled faintly. “Yes, it is. I do not expect an answer immediately. It is a lot to consider. I will not be offended if you turn it down. It is an unusual situation.”

“It’s alright,” I said. “I’ve heard of such arrangements. There are a lot of people who are professional donors and this is par for the course. If I may ask, was there an issue with your previous donor?”

“No,” Alucard said, his tone solemn but not hurt. “It was simply that Trevor fell in love and did not wish to be unfaithful to his sweet Sypha. I understood. We parted amicably.”

“And the donor before him?”

“Alyssa moved away.”

“And was that parting amicable?”

Alucard did not respond right away. “Not entirely.”

I drummed my fingers on my knee, thinking. “Do you feel that you are an honest person, Alucard?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. If I consider your offer, it would require you to be completely honest with me. It would be literally mixing business with pleasure, even if I am still fulfilling my duties as your donor. It will be personal. There is no way to do what you’re asking me to do without there being complications. Do you agree?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay.” I picked up my purse and stood. “How soon would you need an answer?”

“Within a week. There would be a significant amount of things related to your onboarding and training, so if you accept, I would like to get you started as soon as possible.” He paused. “And…before we signed anything, we would still need to, ah, test that we are compatible with one another.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Do you have doubts about that last part?”

He shrugged. “I would never presume to think you are attracted to me.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “But do you actually think that I am?”

Alucard smiled. “Yes.”

I snorted. “Men.”

His smile widened, revealing a peek at those pearly white fangs. “Human or vampire, we are the same, I am afraid. Forgive my impertinence, but I have been alive for a few thousand years. I know the signs of attraction when I see them.”

“Attraction is one thing,” I sniffed. “It doesn’t mean that you know what you’re doing.”

Alucard’s golden eyebrow rose. “Have you any doubts about my…abilities?”

“Some, yes. Like you said. Men are men, and some men have no idea how to satisfy a woman.”

His brow twitched then. “You think I spent the thousands of years I have been alive not learning how to please my partners?”

I shrugged. “I don’t presume to know such things.”

Alucard pushed off from his desk and walked over to me. He gripped my wrist and pulled me forward into him, his other arm snaking around my waist. His chest was solid and lean with muscles, rubbing against my stomach, his belt buckle digging into my hip.

Oh. Wait. Wasn’t his belt buckle. My, my. Hello, Alucard.

His silken hair brushed my cheeks as he towered over me, his breath warm on my skin, those amber eyes locked onto me as if nothing outside of this office existed. He tilted his head until our lips nearly touched, his voice low and practically vibrating with challenge. “May I?”

Be still my heart. Asking for consent despite the manhandling. Bingo. That hit my buttons on the first try. I withheld my answer for a few heartbeats just to be difficult. “Yes.”

Alucard kissed me.

I’d only dated one vampire in college. It had been a while. And yet my body automatically adjusted for how to allow him to kiss me without his sharp, killer fangs getting in the way. Alucard didn’t hesitate to invite his tongue inside my mouth, licking, sucking, nipping with his non-dangerous teeth. His cologne surrounded me and my head got light, my body pliant under his touch. I forgot myself within seconds, kissing him back just as hungrily, all thoughts of being a professional woman gone, erased. I floated off into the upper atmosphere as he kissed me and didn’t return to any sort of awareness until he finally drew away.

I managed to pry my eyes open enough to look at the smug expression on his handsome face. “Do I get Christmas off?”

Alucard blinked once, twice, and then let out a honeyed laugh. “Two weeks off for the holidays. Paid.”

I licked my lips and nodded. “I’ll get back to you.”

Alucard grinned and unwound his arm from around me. “I certainly hope you will.”


	3. The Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You consider Alucard's proposition and all that it entails.

“Wow. Just…wow.”

“I know,” I sighed before popping a mouthful of lemon sherbet. “What d’you think?”

“Hmm…” Bram said, digging his own spoon into the raspberry sherbet. I heard the little click of his fangs on the utensil after he pulled it away to go back for another. Nice thing about vampires in our world was that they could eat food just fine; most only needed blood in order to use their abilities. The more they depended on their magic, the more blood they needed to sustain it. Bram didn’t rely on his very often, so as far as I knew, he only needed blood about every 90 days. “Well, it is an opportunity for sure.”

He glanced at me, his lashes lowering over those brown eyes, giving me a thoughtful look. “But for what, I don’t know.”

“How so?”

“It’s an upgrade in pay and it’ll look fantastic on your resume. It’s also in a line of work that you happen to enjoy in your free time, so it’ll also be more enjoyable. You’re getting to work with someone you admire. It also sounds like you two hit it off, and you might actually get along with this guy.”

“But?”

Bram ate another mouthful. “You’d be literally getting into bed with a vampire. Granted, you do know him to an extent, as his writing is likely telling you a lot about his personality and beliefs. Still, it’s a vampire you don’t know. It’s a pretty big risk.”

I eyed him. “What? No jokes about me being a prostitute, technically speaking?”

Bram laughed. “He’s not paying you for the sex specifically. You’d still be working full time as his personal assistant. Sex once per month doesn’t quite qualify you for being a prostitute.”

He paused. “Maybe just a high end escort.”

I kicked him in the side with my socked foot. He grinned again. “All kidding aside, it doesn’t matter what I think. What do you think?”

“It does matter,” I groaned. “You know more about this experience than I do.”

“Yeah, but what do you want out of this arrangement, sweet pea? Will it bother you to be intimate with someone that you work for? Do you still feel like you have integrity if you’re sleeping with your boss? How is it going to affect your ability to form relationships with the opposite sex?”

I snorted. “Oh, please. Men pass right through me like I’m a ghost. That part won’t be affected.”

Bram shook his head, ruffling his dark hair. “That’s not entirely true. It’s the law of the universe that men don’t want you until you’re unavailable. Mark my words. It’s like there’s some kind of sixth sense. If you start up with Alucard, the universe is going to send you another man just to run amok in your life.”

“Well, it’s not like I’d be dating him. I’m sure he doesn’t expect me to devote myself to him only.”

“If he has any sense, no. However, being a donor is about more than that.”

“In what way?”

He ate his sherbet for a bit, thinking. “You were right to bring up it being personal. It is very intimate, even if you’re like me and don’t become aroused during feeding. It is different for every vampire. That being said, a donor is still offering themselves to the vampire of their choice. Unconsciously, you build an attachment to them emotionally and physically. The more you share blood, the more you share yourself. The two of you begin to sync up and understand each other, feel what the other person feels, know the other person’s thoughts unconsciously. It’s why so many vampires marry their donors; some of them feel that they are soulmates and have no desire to find new donors until their human partner dies. I’m just a couple hundred years old, so it’s harder for me to speak for Alucard, who is one of the eldest vampires. I would wager he is like his old man; he probably picked brides or donors for decades at a time until the modern world of dating came around. You should ask him that for sure. You need to know what you’re getting into…other than just his pants.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll try to see what he’s willing to disclose before I make any decisions.”

I scooted down a bit in the couch and tried to clear my head. “I guess…my biggest hesitation is the attachment. I’m food. Nothing more. Developing feelings for him could land me in a world of trouble.”

“And you will develop them,” Bram said seriously. “And I’m not saying that like you’re weak or codependent. The act of sharing blood during sex is going to be unforgettable. You can’t start having a diet of phenomenal sex and not get attached to your partner, even if it’s a business arrangement.”

He patted my knee. “But that being said, I don’t think it would be a one way street. I don’t think Alucard would regard you as just food. He doesn’t sound like the kind of man who would be so callous. If he were, then he wouldn’t want a devoted donor; he’d just keep finding temporary ones.”

I nibbled my lower lip. “Well, it sounds like there are more pros than cons here.”

“Yeah, for the most part: better pay, great sex, working somewhere you like with someone you like. The only downside is the L word, and that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

I frowned. “How on Earth would a guy like that fall in love with me?”

Bram rolled his eyes. “Stranger things have happened, sweet pea. Trust me, a man could fall in love with you plenty easy.”

“I don’t believe you, but let’s say for the sake of argument that I do. You think I should pull the parachute cord if that happens?”

Bram frowned. “You don’t want to fall in love with him?”

“I’d rather not,” I said dryly. “It sounds complicated and I have enough on my plate as it is.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You would think of it like that. Fine. Let’s say you both get in too deep. In that case, you’d have to evaluate where things would lead. If you both fell in love with each other, then that’s not a bad thing; you could just become a couple, maybe get married, have a family, etc. If only one of you fell in love and the other doesn’t reciprocate, then obviously you’d have to quit. It wouldn’t be fair to either person to stay if the other doesn’t feel the same way. You told me you asked if he’s honest and he said yes. If that’s true, then make sure he knows as much. He has to be strong enough to sever ties with you if the worst should happen.”

Bram rubbed my bare calf gently. “So do you. It would be hard. Like cutting off a limb kind of hard. But you could do it if that’s what you wanted. I know you. You’re tough like that.”

He paused again. “But don’t be afraid of it.”

“Of what?”

“Falling in love,” he said with a faint smile. “Nothing wrong with that. Take it from an immortal. We were put here to love each other for a reason. It endures.”

“Aww,” I teased. “You’re the softest vampire I’ve ever met.”

Bram rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, just saying.”

“Uh-huh. Thanks for the insight. I’ll give it some thought.” I nodded to the remote sitting on the coffee table. “Fire up Netflix. I have brain cells to kill in the meantime.”

* * *

“I have considered your proposition,” I told Alucard. “And I would like to accept the offer for this position.”

I took a deep breath. “However, I believe it is wise to enter into an agreement with both eyes open. I want to be sure that we’re on the same page before we begin working together.”

Alucard nodded. “Transparency is important. What are your requests?”

“I would like open communication in both directions. Neither of us can withhold from the other. If something important needs to be discussed, both of us need to be willing to contribute, even if the subject matter is uncomfortable. I need to know your needs as much as you need to know mine. Do you find that agreeable?”

“Yes. I believe that is fair. I also will need to be very thorough in discovering what it is that you like when the time comes for our donor sessions. Will you be alright with that?”

I cleared my throat, my cheeks warming a bit. “Yes. I might be a bit…shy, I admit. I’m not used to verbalizing it.”

“I see. Has it been a while for you?”

I winced. “Yes. A year.”

Alucard’s eyes widened. _“A year?”_

I blushed harder. “The last breakup went nuclear. It sort of put me off men in general.”

He hissed slightly. “My dear, I am terribly sorry. Did he mistreat you?”

I shook my head. “No, he was just tired of me. Cut the cord abruptly. Guess it was better for him to go cold turkey than try to work things out.”

“That is very unfortunate to hear. I apologize on behalf of my gender.”

“It’s alright. I only bring it up in that it might be a difficult adjustment period, but I promise I’ll try to be as accommodating as possible.”

Alucard shook his head. “No, it is not about that. I am not expecting you to please me. I am not asking you to change your behaviors to fit my preferences. Your pleasure is the focus, not mine.”

I tried not to fidget. I’d certainly never had a man say that to me before. “But it shouldn’t be one-sided. That wouldn’t be fair.”

Alucard smiled. “I assure you that it won’t be, but I want you to understand the purpose. The better you feel, the better your blood will taste. Therefore, the emphasis will be what pleases you. I will certainly not forbid you from anything, but you’ve no need to feel that you must do the same for me. Naturally, it will take a few tries to find a rhythm, but I think it won’t take very long.”

“To that end, do you feel as if we should have a, uh, dry run, I suppose?”

A sly smile slipped across his lips. “I am a man, you know. You cannot hand me such an opportunity and expect me not to say yes immediately.”

I rolled my eyes and glared at him. He chuckled softly. “No, my dear. I do not believe it will be necessary. When the times comes, we will discuss it. I will ask for your consent every step of the way. This I swear to you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“I would also like to monitor your health closely to be sure the blood loss is not taking a permanent toll on you. As I said before, it does not take very much to restore my strength, but better safe than sorry. If you feel unwell, we can immediately stop and reexamine things.”

I tried not to squirm and made myself speak up. “Ah, speaking of which, what about protection?”

“Yes, of course. I will provide my own and yours if you like.”

I almost sighed in relief. I hadn’t thought he would disagree, but it still had worried me anyway. “I’ve been on the pill for years, but I thought I’d ask anyway just to be safe.”

Alucard smiled again. “If you are as thorough with your work as you are about our donor arrangement, you will be a phenomenal personal assistant.”

I chuckled. “Well, I am very detail oriented.”

“Clearly. If you have no other concerns, we can begin.” He offered his hand. I took it.

“Welcome to Fahrenheit Publishing.”


	4. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Alucard's first feeding.

**Four weeks later…**

The door to Alucard’s office opened, spilling the vampire himself inside. He wore a navy vest and suit pants, perfectly pressed, a burgundy tie at his throat. He had a stack of manuscripts tucked under one arm as he read something on his phone, heading for his desk. “Good morning, my dear.”

“Good morning, Alucard.” I handed him his coffee. 100% Columbian, cream, no sugar. He traded me that for the stack of manuscripts.

“Thank you. These will need to go to the editing department.”

“No problem. Your first meeting is at 10am with the accounting department. Conference call at 11:30am with the agents. Lunch with Christy Blair from the New York Times at that French restaurant you like at noon. You have an open block from 1:00pm to 3:00pm to work on your manuscript and then a call with the foreman working on the east coast office.”

“Busy day,” he said as he sat and fired up the Mac. “Shall I bring you back some chocolates from the restaurant?”

I hid a smile. I liked that he remembered little things like that, such as my penchant for sweets. “That would be nice, yes, thank you.”

He handed me a slip of paper. “I will need meetings scheduled with these people by the end of the week. I’m also about to send you a few samples to review. Give me your feedback on the ones that you feel are a good fit for us.”

“Will do.” I shuffled my feet a bit and cleared my throat. “About tonight.”

“Yes?” he asked.

“Um, should it be my place or yours?”

He glanced up at me. “Where would you feel most comfortable?”

I thought it over. “I suppose my place.”

Alucard nodded. “Very well. Would you prefer dinner first or shall I simply meet you there this evening?”

“Oh,” I said, surprised. Alucard had bought me lunch plenty of times, especially if we were out attending meetings together, but he hadn’t offered to buy me dinner since typically office work wrapped up around five o’clock. “I-I wouldn’t mind dinner.”

“Great. Pick anywhere you like and make reservations.” He handed me his credit card.

“Thank you.”

He chuckled softly. “Why do you sound shocked?”

“Nothing, I just…I haven’t really been out with you in public in a social setting before.”

Alucard lifted an eyebrow. “And you fear being seen with me will tarnish your reputation?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, Alucard. It’s far too late for that.”

He laughed. “Quite. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Not yet.”

“I thought not. I’ll have something waiting for you when you return from the editing department.” He grabbed his phone and dialed up the little café on the bottom floor of our building. I whispered my thanks and then headed for the elevator.

The workday continued like any other day, only with me checking the time a bit more frequently, my anxiety increasing on the hour. I’d scoured my entire apartment sparkling clean and had even gotten some new decorations to try to dress it up. Alucard was no snob, but he was used to the finest things in life and I worried my tiny place would make him look at me differently. The pay increase would ensure I could move once my lease was up, but I had months to go.

I’d gotten to know Alucard pretty well being with him five days a week for a month. He had a dry wit and a vast intelligence. He always appeared authoritative in front of his team, but never cold. He was fair and understanding on personal matters. He always looked at every possible angle of a problem before making a decision. It was easy to tell that people enjoyed working for him and with him, for he was always personable.

His writing continued to impress me. Since he’d found out that I was a fan of his work, he let me read new pages as he wrote them to give him feedback. I could also tell he valued hearing it, as sometimes I made suggestions and he heeded them, making changes to the work based on what I’d said. It was a new feeling for me, being appreciated for my opinion, but especially with something as important as Alucard’s fiction.

What I found myself liking the most about working here was that Alucard did not view me as “the help.” It was a common problem with administrative workers. People tended to dismiss them as just a stepping stool, undervaluing them or ignoring them entirely in favor of whomever they were supporting. Alucard asked me things, not only about myself, but about the things we worked on together. He never spoke to me in a condescending or patronizing manner. I had a heavy workload as well and he often checked on how I was adjusting, giving me the time to learn what I needed to know. So far, I really liked this job.

And I hoped everything wouldn’t fall apart after tonight.

Alucard had gently chided me about picking somewhere affordable to eat while on his dime—I couldn’t help it, I’d been raised not to order expensive food when someone else was paying—so I compromised by picking a local steakhouse. It still counted as fine dining, but not $60 steak kind of fine dining. The food came from a farm upstate and so the steaks would be extremely fresh and not overpriced. The indoor décor was classy and bright without trying too hard to be trendy.

Alucard had also been raised a gentleman. I doubted he even noticed it, but he opened doors for me or pulled out my chair or took my hand when stepping out of his Jaguar. Therefore, I didn’t find it strange that he pulled out my chair when we reached the table. The true test of character, though, came from the fact that Alucard tipped generously and always graciously thanked any wait staff. I couldn’t trust or even tolerate anyone who treated wait staff like shit.

We flipped our menus open and browsed them, eating the fresh baked bread and butter left for us. The waiter returned and we ordered appetizers as well as the entrees. I also got myself a drink to soothe my nerves for what lay ahead of me in a couple of short hours.

“How are you, my dear?” Alucard asked sincerely.

I blinked at him and finished chewing the stuffed mushroom, swallowing. “I’m alright. You?”

He smiled. “I mean since you’ve begun working for me.”

“Oh. I hope it’s apparent, but I enjoy the work that we do. I enjoy working with you and everyone at your office. You’ve chosen your people well. They’re all hardworking and likable. Plus, now I get paid to read your work. Jackpot.”

Alucard’s smile widened. “Flattery will do you no good with me.”

I snorted. “I don’t need to flatter you; you already spoil me at every available opportunity.”

He sipped his wine. “Well, as the saying goes, happy wife, happy life.”

I almost choked on my martini. “I’m sorry?”

“Is that not what they call it?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow. “You are my work wife, are you not?”

I blushed rather hard. “Well, you’re not wrong. Where did you pick that up, though? I thought you didn’t watch much television.”

“The copy room.”

I choked again. “You mean you heard my coworkers call me your work wife?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

I shook my head. “If it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me.”

“I find the concept amusing.”

“It is pretty funny, the thought of me being anyone’s wife.”

Alucard cocked his head slightly. I nearly wanted to snap a photo on my phone. He was painfully beautiful, but especially in the candlelight. “You think you would not be a good wife?”

“I would be a horrible wife. I’m selfish and insecure as hell. No man could put up with me.”

He scowled. “You cannot possibly believe such a thing given that there are millions of men in this city alone, let alone this country, my dear. It is statistically unlikely.”

I spread my hands. “You are welcome to throw eligible bachelors at me. I’ll disappoint them all. Watch me.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “You are too critical of yourself.”

“Well. Human nature and all.”

“I suppose so. Perhaps it is better to be aware of one’s flaws than to insist they do not exist. That being said, in the time we have spent together so far, I do not agree with your assessment of yourself. I think you are rather generous and considerate. Perhaps you are insecure deep down, but you also hold your head high and present yourself as a woman of confidence. It shows that you are able to adapt and perform under pressure, putting aside your issues in order to do what is needed. It is a rare thing to be able to overcome one’s fears in such a manner.”

“I must seem silly to you, given how long you’ve been around,” I said a bit apologetically.

“On the contrary. I like your modesty. I think it’s charming.”

“You’re the first.”

“Clearly, you need to raise the standard of men that you associate with,” he sniffed before taking another sip of wine, which made me giggle. The waiter brought us our food. Mine was a ribeye with lobster mac-n-cheese and sautéed spinach. It was beyond delicious. I nearly wanted to lick the plate once I was done. Alucard ordered a slice of six layer chocolate cake and shared it with me before we returned to his Jaguar and he drove us to my place.

I unlocked the door and let him in, reminding myself to stay calm. I’d had a month to mentally prepare for this night. I could do this. I could handle being his donor.

Or so I hoped.

I collected his coat and scarf and put them in the hall closet. “Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

I headed into the kitchen. “What’s your poison?”

“Port, whiskey, sherry, or wine.”

I chuckled and poured him some whiskey. “You drink like an old rich man.”

“I am an old rich man,” he said haughtily.

We clinked our glasses together. I knew better than to chug whiskey, but I still knew I was drinking it too fast. I wanted it to kick in quickly and make me stop overthinking things. My whole body had been flushed and agitated since we’d gotten in his car. My heart rate was twice what it should have been. I knew he could hear it with his vampire senses and it just made me even more embarrassed.

“Would you like to sit and have a chat first?” he asked gently.

God, he was being so patient and considerate. I knew he was hungry. He was three days from when he would be in dire straits. We’d planned ahead so that he wouldn’t be ravenous by the time he needed to feed. It would keep the both of us safe. I’d read what happened to vampires who didn’t feed before they went feral. Nine out of ten cases resulted in violent deaths.

Now or never.

I finished my whiskey. “No, I’m alright, we can get started.”

I steeled myself and gestured to the hallway. “Um, it’s this way.”

I pushed the bedroom door the rest of the way open and flicked on a lamp, spilling golden light across the small space. It played over his hair brilliantly, casting pleasing shadows over his tall, slender frame. He stood at the edge of my bed, waiting patiently as I approached. I swallowed hard and flexed my hands open and closed nervously. “W-What now?”

“Now,” he murmured, fixing me with his amber gaze. “We discuss the terms of the arrangement.”

“I thought we already did.”

“Not the intimacy parts,” he clarified. “There are many factors to consider.”

“Like what?”

He touched my chin lightly. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

I felt stunned for a second. “You mean you wouldn’t if I said no?”

“Correct.”

“Wow,” I mumbled before I could help myself. “I didn’t think…yes, I want you to kiss me. If you want to.”

“I want to,” he whispered huskily. “That first one was not enough.”

I shuddered as he leaned in and brushed those soft lips against mine again. Pleasure flooded down over me in a rush. He kept it chaste, though, as if he’d just wanted a taste for now. “Second, do you wish for us both to be naked?”

Now that I understood. After all, it wasn’t a mental image I would forget anytime soon, a fully naked Alucard in my bed. I could see it being hard not to picture it in the office. That being said, I couldn’t lie to myself. I wanted to see him naked very badly. I’d had a crush on him long before we ever met. “Y-Yes.”

“Third,” he said as he settled his other hand on my waist. It felt warm and heavy through the material of my dress. “I wish to be gentle with you the first time to allow you to become acquainted with me. Is that what you want as well?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

He kissed me again, lightly. “Do you like to be praised?”

I blushed. “Um, yes, that’s okay.”

“I had a feeling,” he admitted, smiling playfully. “Given your reactions when I have complimented you in the past.”

He kissed me, this time with tongue. My knees weakened. He sighed when he drew back this time. “Lastly, you may stop me at any point. If it is too much for you, tell me. If I do anything you dislike, tell me. The reverse is also true. If I do something you like, tell me. I need you to share yourself with me as you would your lover, so that we may build trust with each other.”

I nodded, my voice already growing hoarse. “Okay.”

“May I undress you, my dear?”

“Yes, Alucard.”

I stepped out of my heels first and then turned around so he could see the zipper to the black dress. Cool air greeted my sensitive skin as he undid it. Once it crumpled at my waist, Alucard ran his hands over my bare shoulder blades. His hands were so warm, his fingertips so soft. He stroked over my spine and then gripped the dress where it bunched at my hips, tugging it down my legs. I held onto the crook of my elbows to keep my hands from shaking. Alucard brushed my hair over my shoulder and kissed the shell of my ear, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“Good girl,” he whispered, stroking up and down my arms. “Just relax. I will take care of you. I promise.”

He turned me around and then gently guided me to lie flat on the bed. Then he reached up and began unbuttoning his vest.

Oh dear God.

The sight of Alucard Tepes undressing in front of me would never leave me.

By the time he reached the white dress shirt underneath, I thought I’d die of hyperventilation. Each button he undid revealed another inch of luscious pale skin. He had only one scar—a long one that ran down the center of his body, bisecting his abs, but it was an old scar. Definitely happened long before me or most of my family had even been born, I suspected. A pang of sympathy went through me. I couldn’t imagine how much it must have hurt or how long it took him to heal. Poor Alucard.

He set his dress shirt aside. His upper body was nothing short of phenomenal. Smooth, lean, defined muscles in his arms and chest and abdomen, his waist enticingly narrow. He undid the slacks next and let them fall away to reveal black boxer-briefs, a tent already formed in front from his arousal. God, he was beautiful. Achingly beautiful. Like a Greek fucking god.

I felt like a fucking potato by comparison.

The bed lurched under his weight as he crawled up over me, his long, silken hair tickling me as it skimmed along my bare skin. I’d wrapped my arms around my stomach, too nervous to move yet, staring up at the vampire in my bed.

“You’re trembling,” he said quietly.

“Yes. Wouldn’t you?”

He almost smiled. “Are you afraid?”

I shook my head. “No, just…you’re so…I guess I wasn’t…prepared for it.”

“Neither was I, to be honest,” Alucard admitted, his golden eyes roving over me. “You are beyond lovely.”

I laughed shakily. “Right.”

“I am being sincere.”

“I know, that’s why I’m laughing. You must have had far more beautiful women by now. I can’t imagine I’m anything special.”

He studied me for a second and then nudged my legs further apart with his knees, pressing himself between my thighs. I almost died on the spot as I felt the hard length of him against my pelvis. “I beg to differ.”

“A-Alucard.”

He answered me with a kiss, licking my lips apart and finding my tongue, sucking it into his mouth. The kisses grew messy, heated, hungry, passionate. He reached down and unfolded my arms from around my chest, pressing them to the bed. He reached underneath me and undid the bra. I tried not to squirm as he plucked it free. He hummed softly as he stared at my bare breasts, licking his lips. “May I?”

“Y-Yes.”

His soft lips wrapped around the right one. I stifled a moan and gripped the bedspread as another rush of pleasure spilled down my body. My core felt so overheated from just this. I had no idea how I was going to survive him doing anything else to me.

He licked and sucked and teased my right breast, his other hand lightly plucking at the left one. He switched off and then released me when a light sweat had broken out over my skin. He kissed me and stroked down my stomach, petting me like a cat until I arched up into the heat of him, needing more. He slowly trailed his fingertips across my navel, tracing its shape, and then cupped me through my panties. I cried out and couldn’t help rutting against the sudden pressure.

“You are wet,” he whispered.

“Yes.”

He angled his hand inside my panties. I moaned his name and shivered hard as his soft fingertips lightly dragged over me. “I do not wish to strain you. I would like it if you were more ready for me.”

I struggled to open my eyes to look at him. “Meaning what?”

“I would like to use my mouth or fingers here,” he said as he stroked over my hot core. “Is that alright?”

Oh Jesus. Alucard wanted to give me head and/or finger-fuck me. Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to me that he would want to do so. I’d assumed we’d get right to business. “Um.”

He kissed my cheek. “You can say no, my dear. I will not be offended.”

“What kind of daft woman turns down foreplay?” I blurted out before I could help it.

Alucard blinked and then laughed. “Good question. Which do you prefer?”

I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing him between my legs with his tongue inside me. Not for the first time, anyway. I was already struggling to keep it together. “Um, your fingers.”

“Very well.” He slipped his hand free enough to pull my panties off. He spread my legs and then caught my wrists, tugging my fingers out of where they’d tangled up with the comforter. He wrapped my arms around his lean frame and then planted one hand up near my head for balance. The other returned to between us. I couldn’t help sinking my nails into his pale skin as he traced over my petals, gathering the wetness and spreading it over me. Once satisfied, he angled his middle finger inside me.

“Fuck!”

I hadn’t been ready. I also hadn’t meant to curse, but based on the growl he made in response, he’d liked that reaction. Alucard’s long, slender finger sank into me up to the third knuckle and then curled, finding a lovely spot and rubbing it gently to test me. I pressed my forehead to his shoulder and clung to him for several seconds, panting madly from just how goddamn good it had felt.

“Mm, you are sensitive,” Alucard sighed in my ear. “I like it.”

I blushed even harder. He slid his finger free and played with my clit lightly with the wet digit. I whimpered and squirmed underneath him helplessly, which made him chuckle. He kissed my ear. “Relax for me.”

I did my best, settling into the pillows and holding onto the small of his back, trying not to claw at it as he slid his finger in again. He pumped into me steadily, kissing me all the while, his voice soft and sinful in my ear. “Yes, good girl. Mm, your cunt is wonderful. So wet. So wet for me.”

He slipped a second finger inside me and I whined, unable to help shoving my hips up in search of more friction. Alucard groaned softly and sped up, pressing deeper, hitting my sweet spot.

“A-Alucard, please,” I begged, dizzy as I approached the climax.

“Yes, yes, more,” he breathed. “Good girl. Come.”

“Alucard,” I mewled, shaking all over, drenched in sweat. “I’m so close.”

“Yes, I can feel it. Such a tight cunt. Let go for me. Let me please you.”

“Alucard!” I arched off of the mattress and claimed my prize, coming hard on his fingers. He brought his thumb up against my clit and rubbed it hard, extending my pleasure for entire minutes. My nerves exploded into stardust. I flew apart beneath him.

God help me. Alucard would be the death of me.

It was a few minutes before I caught my breath. I roused once he slipped his fingers free. Well, he wouldn’t have a bit of trouble moving forward. Niagara Falls was less wet than me right now.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m on Jupiter,” I mumbled drunkenly, to which he chuckled. “How are you?”

“I am questioning whatever fool of a man would grow tired of you,” he said. “You are exquisite while in the throes of your pleasure.”

“To be fair, my ex couldn’t get me off the way you just did.”

Alucard frowned. “How shameful.”

“Pretty much.”

“Forget him.”

I smiled up at him. “I already have.”

Alucard smiled back. “Good.”

Then he lifted his wet fingers to his lips and licked them clean.

Oh, my.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked.

“No.”

His eyes glinted eagerly. “Very well. I will have you. I will make you come. The bite will hurt, but only for a moment, and then it will feel good again. You will then feel rather sleepy. I can stay the night or depart, whichever you prefer.”

“You can stay.” I then added shyly, “If you want. No pressure.”

Alucard smiled. “Well, this bed is very comfortable and it does have a beautiful naked woman in it. I am not compelled to leave it of my own volition.”

“Silvertongue,” I huffed.

“Guilty as charged.” He slid away from me enough to retrieve the small, discreet packet of condoms from his slacks. I tried not to stare, but who the hell was I kidding? Of course I had to watch. This was better than Showtime.

Alucard popped off a condom and peeled the foil away with the edge of his teeth. He caught my gaze and gave me another one of those lustful, teasing smiles as he pulled off the boxer briefs. Jesus fucking Christ. That was a very nice cock. Long, straight, not impossibly thick, but impressive all the same. The showoff applied the condom without breaking my gaze, no less. What a bastard.

He climbed onto the bed again, but this time pulled the covers down to let the two of us slip underneath them. I appreciated the gesture. It felt more intimate and I wouldn’t get the chills either.

Alucard settled over me, his skin smooth and firm, his sculpted chest lightly pinning me under him, our bodies aligning automatically. His kisses consumed me body and soul. He stroked my throat and then passed his hand down over me until it reached between us again. I wanted to scream in anticipation as the tip of his cock rubbed along my slit.

Alucard sighed into my mouth and then slid inside me for the first time.

_God._

Was there anything sweeter on Earth than this moment?

Alucard’s cock met no resistance as it filled me inch after inch, parting my inner walls, stretching me deliciously. A tidal wave of ecstasy splashed down over me. Heat spread out from where we were joined and simmered through my veins. I couldn’t do anything but moan his name. He was heavenly.

“Mm,” Alucard murmured. “Your cunt is paradise, my dear.”

“So is your cock,” I slurred back.

Alucard laughed into my neck and then began to move. Exquisitely. He kissed the column of my throat lightly as he anchored himself above me, thrusting slow and sure, only a few inches at a time so as not to overwhelm me. It didn’t take long for me to adjust. A year was nothing to my neglected sex. It wanted to make up for lost time.

Once he felt me relax around his cock, he wrapped my legs around his narrow waist and planted his knees, working his hips harder. His cock slid deeper. I cried out before I could help it. Alucard liked that a lot, apparently.

“Yes,” he whispered. “Good girl. Moan for me. More. Give me more.”

“Alucard,” I whimpered, blushing at his tone.

“Hold nothing back, my sweet,” he urged, his strokes picking up speed. “That’s it. Open up to me. Let me in. Let me have you.”

“Ah! Alucard, please! I-I’m going to come!”

“Yes, yes,” he groaned. “Yes, good girl. Sweet girl. So sweet. Your cunt is so sweet, my dear. I want it to be mine. I want to claim it. Will you let me have it, darling?”

I shuddered hard, flying to the edge of the cliff at his possessive words. “Oh, God, Alucard, yes! Please, please take it. It’s yours.”

He slid one hand up into my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my throat. His thrusts quickened. I moaned piteously as he hit my spot finally, pummeling it into submission until I couldn’t take it anymore. “Alucard!”

“Come,” he ordered. “Come, my sweet. Come for me, my good, sweet girl.”

I climaxed that very second, harder than I ever had in my life, almost weeping with joy from how incredible it felt. Alucard growled in my ear as he felt my cunt fluttering over the length of his cock and then sealed his mouth over my pulse. I felt a sharp couple of pricks and then the pain of my skin giving way to his fangs. My blood flooded out onto Alucard’s tongue and he lapped it up with a gratified groan, sucking gently, never stopping his thrusts. He swallowed a few mouthfuls and then a tingling wave of magic swept up the side of my neck. The two small punctures vanished as if they’d never been there.

And yet Alucard was not done.

He pushed up on his hands and licked his bloody lips as he stared down at me. “May I come, darling?”

“God, yes,” I breathed back. “Yes, Alucard. Please come.”

His eyes fluttered shut and he concentrated his thrusts in one place inside me, finding my spot again, rocking his pelvis flat to mine so he was hitting my clit. I writhed and cried out, flying off into the sweet abyss again, raking my nails down his back. Alucard ground out my name as he came, the vibrations from it zinging right down to my clit, sweetening my own release. He collapsed forward over me on his forearms, his sweaty forehead resting on mine, his shimmering hair surrounding me in gold.

I couldn’t tell how long we stayed there in that position; just that eventually he cupped my cheek, waking me out of the temporary sex coma. I opened my eyes to find a concerned look on that handsome face. “Are you alright?”

I let out a wheezing laugh. “I’ll do a damage report in the morning. Sleep, vampire.”

Alucard gave me a copper-flavored kiss, his eyes shiny with affection. “As you wish, my dear.”


	5. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every choice has consequences.

I slept better than I had in years after fucking my boss.

Go figure.

I drifted into consciousness lying on my belly, my hair in a hopeless mess around my head, unsure of what century it even was. I’d been in a heavy sleep for sure, the kind without dreams or much movement. The sheets were half tangled around me and I realized why after a moment—Alucard had draped himself across my naked back, his face resting between my shoulder blades. His breath flared hot over my skin every so often. He had both muscular arms looped around my waist as he slept.

He was _cuddling_ me.

How utterly adorable.

I tried not to move my upper body as I stretched out my hand and tilted the phone up to face me. About half an hour before my alarm would go off. Not bad.

“What time is it?” came Alucard’s sleepy cat’s purr of a voice a second later. Light sleeper, it seemed.

“Seven o’clock,” I told him as I relaxed onto my pillow again. “We can sleep in for another half hour.”

“Mm.” He made no attempts to move away. _Ba-dumpa-thump_ went my fragile heart. “I am your boss. I could insist that we report in late. Or better yet, take the day off.”

I grinned. “You won’t hear any protests from me.”

Alucard’s glorious chest rumbled with laughter. It tickled. “I thought not.”

He paused, concern filling his tone. “Forgive me, I forgot my manners. This does not bother you, does it?”

“No, it’s comfy, I don’t mind.”

He relaxed again. “How do you feel?”

I stretched this way and that, just a bit, not too much. “A little sore, but that’s it.”

“Your heartbeat is normal,” he confirmed. “But tell me if you feel faint.”

“Cross my heart.” I closed my eyes and allowed the warmth of his touch lure me under the blanket of a light sleep. My alarm eventually rang and I tapped it silent, sighing as I remembered the many things awaiting us at the office. I was sorely tempted to take him up on the offer to take the day off.

Alucard sighed. “Shall we talk?”

“Probably should.”

He slid away from me. I missed his touch instantly, but I stuffed the longing down and gathered the sheets in a makeshift toga, rolling over to face him. I settled on my side and he did the same, the sheets pooling in his lap. He brushed my hair over my ear, studying me. “Now you know how it works. Tell me your thoughts.”

“It wasn’t how I thought it would be,” I admitted sheepishly. “Not in a bad way. I was just expecting something else.”

“Did you consult with one of your vampire friends first?”

“Yes. Bram said that—”

 _“Bram?”_ Alucard said incredulously.

I laughed. “Yes, I know. His parents were assholes who thought it would be funny to stick him with that. He’s like my older brother, basically. He gave me an idea of what I might experience. I am willing to move forward. That being said, I guess I am feeling a bit anxious about etiquette.”

“In what way?”

I blushed. “We, uh, said things to each other that we wouldn’t normally have said. I’ve never slept with someone that I worked with, but especially not my boss. I don’t know how to keep from being embarrassed given my reactions last night.”

“Your reactions were not only perfectly natural, but quite desirable,” Alucard chided. “You need not feel ashamed. That being said, yes, I understand your reticence. The policy I keep is that what is said and done during our donor sessions does not follow us outside of the bedroom. Consider that we shed our work personas at the door and pick them back up once the sessions conclude. I will treat you no differently. True, it will not always be easy, but it is possible.”

I nodded. “I understand. I’ll do my best.”

I cleared my throat. “And what about the morning after? I…I like the cuddling, honestly. Being close to you is nice.”

Alucard smiled. “You are very cute, my dear.”

“Ugh, don’t,” I groaned.

He laughed. “You are. Denial does not change that. But to answer your question, this is our time together. Our space. I will not be offended if you wish to be touched or held from now until it is time for me to leave. Our arrangement requires intimacy. I do not think of you as simply a meal. I enjoy being close to you as well.”

I tried not to preen and let it show how much that pleased me. It had been quite a while since I’d liked anyone. It just felt good to be appreciated, even if it was just for our donor arrangement. “May I ask you a bit of an odd question?”

“Certainly.”

“What does my blood taste like? If anything?”

Alucard’s brows rose in surprise. “That…I do not believe a donor has asked me that before.”

“I am a strange individual, as you pointed out.”

“In jest, of course.” He paused for a pensive moment. “I suppose the best comparison would be wine. Every wine is slightly different, even if it came from the same vineyard. Blood has an aroma and a taste. It also is infused with the life force of whomever it is taken from. Blood has magic, same as vampires do. For that reason, it is more potent and satisfying when taken from a live donor rather than the cold blood packs stored in hospitals or other places. Your blood is…”

He frowned a bit, perhaps choosing the right words. “…very fragrant. It has a sweetness to it, but not sugar, more like sage honey. It’s almost a refined quality of blood. I sincerely believe that if you were donate to other vampires, they would demand more of it than necessary. It is quite appetizing.”

“Interesting,” I said. “Bram told me most vampires also prefer live donors because the consistency of the blood makes it taste different too. He said it’s like if you were offered a steak right off the grill versus one that was refrigerated. You could still eat it, but it’s better when hot.”

“An accurate comparison indeed. Have you ever donated to him?”

“No, he doesn’t need it often and when he does, he’s fine with a blood pack. I think he doesn’t want to see me in that sort of way, maybe. He said vampires build attachments to their donors unconsciously. Maybe it would make him think about asking me for more if he liked it.”

“If he liked it?” Alucard asked.

“Boyfriend in college was a vampire,” I explained. “We tried it once and he didn’t like the way mine tasted. It happens.”

Alucard made a disgruntled noise in his throat. “He had no taste.”

I smirked. “Heartily agreed.” I glanced at my phone again. “Well, we’d better get moving. You can have the first shower.”

“I will do no such thing. Ladies first.”

I frowned. “But I’m your host. The guest should shower first.”

“I am not your guest,” he sniffed. “I am your work husband. You first.”

I rolled my eyes. “So stubborn. Why don’t we compromise and take one together?”

“That would not be a good idea, given the circumstances.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Which are?”

Alucard cleared his throat. “It would be very hard for me to…behave myself.”

I choked in disbelief. “Oh, really?”

His cheeks tinted every so slightly pink. Goodness me, it was precious. “Yes.”

I broke into giggles. “Why, Alucard, shame on you. Who knew you were such an insatiable beast?”

He scowled at first, but then rolled on top of me, trapping me between his arms. The smile that crept across his lips was truly, truly wicked and made me break out in goosebumps all over.

“You should be grateful that you are only my donor,” the vampire murmured. “For if you were my woman, you would spend hours in ecstasy. Insatiable does not even begin to cover it.”

I gulped. “L-Lucky me.”

He smirked. “Yes. Lucky you. Now will you relent and take your shower first or shall I carry you in there myself?”

I glared. “Hey, this is my place. You can’t order me around. I’m not your assistant when we’re alone.”

“Then we are at an impasse, aren’t we?”

I huffed. “Fine. New deal: I’ll shower first if you make breakfast.”

“We have an accord.” He bent and kissed my forehead.

I blinked up at him. “What was that for?”

He smiled warmly at me. “Nothing at all, my dear.”

* * *

One thing I appreciated about Alucard was that, as far as I knew, he was a man of his word.

Our workday proceeded as normal.

What a relief.

I worried briefly about lingering stares or hidden innuendo, but there was none to be had. Alucard treated me with the same respect and attention as he always had since he hired me. We worked in our usual harmony, comfortable and in sync. I could hardly believe it.

But to be fair, I did have a moment or two at my desk when my mind wandered back to the image of Alucard’s gorgeous face in ecstasy above me. But when that happened, I just drank some cold water and told my thirsty self to focus.

By the time I returned home, I was nearly humming a tune from being so glad it had gone well. I’d been expecting the worst, yet that didn’t happen for once. And in another thirty days, I could expect more phenomenal sex. It was rare that I had something to look forward to.

I checked my mailbox and flipped through the fistful of items as I walked to my door, absently separating the spam mail until I reached a blank envelope. Confused, I opened it to find a letter in an untidy scrawl.

_Hey, gorgeous._

_Do you taste as good as you look?_

_I bet you do._

_And I’m going to find out sooner rather than later._

_Love,_

_Your Friend from the Parking Lot_

Fear climbed up my throat. I wheeled around, seeing no one, and yet I knew someone was watching me. Hands shaking, I jammed the key in the lock and hurried inside, slamming the door shut. I held the note in my shaking hand, reading it over and over again in disbelief.

Now what?

* * *

The door opened on Bram’s protectively furious face. “What did the cops say?”

I sighed as I shuffled inside his apartment and took off my coat. “No fingerprints. They sent the note to an analyst to examine the handwriting, but that’s about it. They can’t do anything unless I see someone following me or receive another threat. It’s also sexual in nature, but it doesn’t indicate violence so there isn’t much force they can put behind it to investigate. I don’t know which of those men in the group it was, so I couldn’t describe the harasser.”

“That is horseshit,” Bram said, taking my suitcase and placing it in his guest bedroom.

I shrugged. “It’s the way the system works. They need more to go on.”

“Goddammit.” Bram wrapped me in his arms, hugging me tightly. He was warm and smelled nice. I disappeared into the embrace for a while.

“You can stay as long as you need,” he whispered into my hair. “Weeks, months, days, years, I don’t care. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, sweet pea.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “I’m sorry, Bram.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said fiercely. “You saved Alucard’s life by risking your own. If some sorry fuckboy wants to come after you, then he’s going to find the ass-kicking of a lifetime. And he’d damn well better hope the cops catch him before I do.”

“Bram—”

“Don’t even try it,” he said. “I’m ride or die for my sweet pea. You know that.”

I let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah, I know that. But this guy could be bad news. We don’t know what we’re up against.”

“I know.” He rested his hands on my shoulders. “And that’s why I want you to ask Alucard for help.”

I blinked up at him. “Alucard?”

“Yeah. He said the ringleader was mad that he got dumped and the girl offered herself to Alucard instead. If Alucard remembers the guy or the girl, we can get to them. Even if it’s not that guy who’s doing this, it would eliminate someone from the pool of suspects.”

I shook my head. “Bram, I can’t ask him to get involved.”

“Sweet pea, he’s already involved. He’s the reason any of this happened in the first place.”

I frowned. “No, _I’m_ the reason any of this happened. I didn’t have to stop them. I didn’t have to hit them with my car. I could’ve called the cops.”

“And Alucard probably would have died if you had. You need help. You know he wouldn’t say no.”

“I don’t want to drag him into my problems.”

He shook me a little, growing desperate. “You’re not. I know you’ve only worked there a month, but I bet you he cares about you enough to be willing to help. Please, sweet pea. This is your life we’re talking about. You’re not immortal. You don’t heal. If someone hurt you, I would never get over it. Ever. Do you understand?”

I swallowed hard. It was tough hearing that and even tougher looking into his eyes. “I…but what if they come after him again? What if they’re using me as a trap?”

“The guy’s a few thousand years old,” Bram said dryly. “I’m pretty sure he can figure something out. You don’t get that old off of pure dumb luck. Now promise me you’ll ask him.”

“Bram, please—”

He squeezed my shoulders. “Promise me, sweet pea.”

“I’ll…” I sighed. “If the cops come up with nothing on the handwriting, I’ll ask him. Good enough?”

“No,” he growled, his brown eyes flashing. “But fine. Shower, eat, get some rest. I’m gonna call work and schedule myself so I can drop you off at work and pick you up this week.”

“Thank you.”

He hugged me again. “Forget it. You’re gonna be alright. I’m here.”

I hugged him back just as hard and then headed into the guest room. I had a long, sleepless night ahead. By the time I climbed into bed after I showered and ate, I found myself lying there wishing Alucard were here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mine is an evil laugh.


	6. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You reluctantly tell Alucard about the threatening letter and he comes up with a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol oops my hand slipped and this chapter is uber long. Sorry.

“May I see you in my office, my dear?”

Shit. Alucard wasn’t smiling. I tried not to let my distress show as I nodded and grabbed my iPad in case I needed to take notes. I also took the two sheets of paper that I had been working up the courage to show him all day since it had to be done whether I wanted to or not.

He closed the door behind me and gestured to the comfortable chair before his desk. “Have a seat, please.”

“If this is about the Kensington manuscript, I can have it reviewed before I leave today,” I babbled nervously as I tucked my skirt under me and sat.

“No, no, this is not about your work,” Alucard said as he came around to face me, leaning against his desk. “What is the matter?”

“Excuse me?”

“Something is bothering you, my dear,” he said in a gentle, patient tone. “I know your personal life is none of my business, but your behavior has me concerned. Has something happened?”

I chewed my lip, hugging the iPad and notes to my stomach. “My behavior?”

“Your spirit feels diminished. You are usually more calm and open with me, but lately you’ve seemed melancholy and worried. When we have left the building for meetings, you look over your shoulder more often than you have in the past. You do not have to tell me everything, but I need to know that you are alright and if there is something that I can do to help.”

I stared at him, speechless. I’d underestimated him. I’d thought that I’d fooled him into thinking I was fine, but he’d been too perceptive to fall for it. Bram was right. He…cared about me. Not that I found that strange, I just hadn’t considered what a truly good person Alucard was.

“I…” My throat tightened, choking me silent as the overwhelming amount of emotions cascaded over me all at once. Tears welled up in my eyes until they were burning hot and stinging.

Alucard took my hand and pulled me up from the chair. He read my expression and then gave me a hug, holding me close, not too tight. “It is alright. You can tell me. Even if I cannot help, I can listen.”

I struggled to speak. My emotions wouldn’t stop crashing against my mind. I wanted to cry into his chest for hours from how scared I’d been. Somehow, acknowledging it just made me want to fall apart. I took a few slow breaths and then drew back enough to look up at him. “Someone’s been stalking me.”

Alucard’s amber eyes widened. Then, immediately, anger flooded his features. “Have you found out who yet?”

I shook my head and then handed him the letters. “I’ve gotten these threats. No leads yet on the handwriting. I’ve been staying with Bram since I got the first one, but the second letter arrived yesterday at his place, which means they know where I am. Bram made me promise to tell you, but I just hadn’t worked up the nerve.”

Alucard exhaled harshly through his nose as he read the letters one by one. “I cannot believe that I have endangered you.”

“You didn’t,” I protested. “I intervened. It wasn’t your fault.”

He shook his head. “Even so, I was the intended target of the attack at the bar. I bear responsibility for part of this. I swear that I will make it right. There are a few things we must do.”

He set the letters aside. “I will go to the police and give them descriptions of the men who attacked me. I will see if there is any link in my past to the woman who approached me. She may be willing to help. I will also hire a private investigator to see if they can spot the stalker. If they catch him in the act, then we can turn the proof over to the authorities. In the meantime, you will stay with me. I have a penthouse suite with excellent security and a doorman, so at the very least, you will be protected within its walls.”

“Alucard,” I said, alarmed. “I can’t stay with you.”

“You can and you will,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Stalkers escalate. That is their psychological profile. First, it starts with taunting. It will then escalate into harassing phone calls or emails. Sooner or later, they will take action to hurt you. It’s an obsessive compulsion. They often can’t help it. It is dangerous enough when they are human, but an immortal stalker is cause for even more caution.”

“Alucard, I’ll be alright—”

He stepped closer to me, his golden eyes glowing with determination. “You are in danger. Your guilt complex is not a good enough excuse for you to refuse my help.”

“Alucard, you’re my boss. I can’t live with you. That’s fraternization.”

He rolled his eyes. “I created this company, my dear. The policy is what I say it is. And right now, you are being threatened by some disgusting thug who means to do you harm. Fraternization is the least of your worries.”

I tried not to scream at him in frustration. It was difficult. “Alucard, you don’t have to do this for me. I just need your help identifying the vampires we saw that night.”

“The police are notorious for not taking harassment and stalking seriously. I will not leave anything to chance.” He gripped my arms. “I owe you my life. Let me settle my debt.”

I shook my head. “It’s not fair. You wouldn’t do this for your other employees. Why am I special?”

“Because you are my donor.” He paused, searching my gaze. “And…my friend.”

I felt my resolve crumble into nothingness. “Damn you.”

“Asking for help does not make you weak,” he told me, brushing my hair back. “Even the strong need help. Send for your things. I want you with me tonight. And do not worry about our next session. I can make other arrangements.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said. “It’s weeks away. I’ll be alright enough to go through with it.”

Alucard eyed me. “Are you certain?”

“Yes. I can still work. It’s my job, remember?”

“Very well. But you can always change your mind if it becomes too stressful. If anyone asks, we are merely carpooling, not living together. Do not indicate to anyone where you live just to cover our bases. You never know who might be listening.” He wrote on a sheet of paper and gave it to me. “My address. We have to assume your stalker knows where you work, so we will be careful on the way home this afternoon to try to throw him off the trail.”

He touched my shoulders. “Above all, you must stay aware of your surroundings. Do not give him the opportunity to escalate to violence. I promise that I will do all that I can to keep you safe.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” I whispered.

“That is my choice.” He kissed my forehead and then gave me a reassuring smile. “After all, what are work husbands for?”

* * *

Much like his office, Alucard’s penthouse was lavish and nothing I’d ever be able to afford in several lifetimes. It made sense, though. Being centuries old, he had accumulated wealth, not to mention what he’d inherited from his father’s estate. And that was just the wealth they could trace in the modern world; who knew what he had hidden away.

The penthouse was on the tenth floor of the richest district in the city. Alucard gave the doorman my name and they gave me a copy of the key, promising to be on the lookout for any suspicious characters. Naturally, the building’s exterior, lobby, and parking lot had security cameras. I had to admit it did make me feel safer.

I rode the elevator with Alucard carrying my personal suitcase—he insisted, ignoring my complaints that it was unnecessary—and the movers brought up my clothing and belongings up on the next one. I immediately thought the penthouse looked like both a castle and a palace. Marble flooring for the kitchen, living room, and dining room, and hardwood floors for everywhere else. There was a fireplace to the left with a set of cream-colored couches and loveseats around it and a flat screen TV above it. There were two guest rooms with their own private bathrooms and then Alucard’s master bedroom. He also had a separate room set up as a workout room, with mats and punching bags and an array of fencing swords on the wall. The kitchen was huge and exquisite with chrome appliances and lots of nifty gadgets I hadn’t seen before. The decorations were mostly elegant paintings or handmade sculptures from different countries.

Walking around it made me feel shell-shocked. I couldn’t fathom that I’d be staying here. I felt too afraid to touch anything. Silly but true.

The movers took my things into one of the guest rooms and I left them a great tip. Once we were alone, Alucard spoke up. “I know it will take some time to adjust, but I want you to feel at home here.”

“You really don’t want that,” I told him. “It involves me walking around in my underwear eating bacon.”

Alucard chuckled. “There are worse things I could endure, my dear. Even so, please ask if you need anything. It will be odd, but I think we can find a way to be comfortable around one another. The very moment I learn anything about the repugnant bastard who threatened you, I will let you know.”

“Thank you, Alucard.”

“Think nothing of it, my dear.”

He poured me a drink—some very expensive but lovely wine—and we talked for a couple of hours before I bade him good night. The hot shower I took was heavenly. I collapsed into the King sized bed with its Egyptian cotton sheets and fell asleep almost instantly.

I chose not to think about why.

Over the next few weeks, we learned each other’s schedules and habits. Alucard was an early riser. He would get up at dawn to watch the sun rise and exercise, then an hour of fencing, simply because he enjoyed it. He showered and ate breakfast, usually something low calorie and high in protein, and had an espresso to go. After work, he had dinner, read the new manuscripts or recent books he published for a couple of hours, and watched either the news or documentaries. Most times, he had a nightcap and then went to bed.

So, in short, he really was an old rich man.

I didn’t try to change his routine, but I did make suggestions that he try a few new things. I started teaching him yoga and he took to it amazingly well. We practiced together after work. We traded off skills as well, as he offered to teach me self-defense in case the worst should happen, and I accepted.

He was an excellent chef, but I didn’t want him cooking for me every night, so we alternated making each other dishes or ordering in if we had a long day. I didn’t try to convert him into a TV person, but I did suggest a few shows and movies on my Netflix queue that he might enjoy, so once per week, we sat on the couch together and watched things.

Alucard monitored his mail carefully, but he didn’t find any threatening letters. I didn’t want him to feel like he had to escort me everywhere, so I cut back on my social activities and stayed indoors. Bram understood completely and checked in with me during the week via text, sometimes calls. Alucard had given the men’s descriptions to the police and hired a private investigator, but so far, radio silence from the stalker. The private investigator was able to confirm that he was no longer watching my place or Bram’s, so for now, he was conducting weekly surveillance to see if the stalker was watching the office. 

Before I knew it, we’d reached the night of our next donor session. Alucard and I stood at the sink washing and drying the dishes after dinner, which got me thinking. “Alucard?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I’ve been here a month and you haven’t had anyone over.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Correct.”

“You don’t have any friends? I’ve never so much as seen you take a friendly phone call.”

The vampire cleared his throat. “Ah. Yes, I…prefer to be alone.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said, softening my tone. “I just wanted to know if there was a reason why.”

“I have trust issues,” he said quietly. “It is difficult for me to engage in friendships when I have had too many of them end badly.”

I nodded. “I understand. It’s just…it’s kind of a shame. You’re good company. You know, after you’ve had your morning espresso. Before that, you’re a monster.”

He laughed. “Quite. Immortality is so much easier to deal with now that coffee exists.”

“I bet.” We finished shortly after and shared a nightcap. I was still nervous, but having spent the last month living with him, I wasn’t nearly as bad as the first night we spent together.

“Um, can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

I cleared my throat as we walked towards the bedrooms. “I mean, I know this is just an arrangement, but I could wear something nicer than my normal clothes. Like lingerie.”

“Is that something you would like to do?”

I tried not to sound as shy as I felt. “Yes. It might be nice.”

“I would like that for certain,” he murmured, wrapping my hand into his. To my surprise, he led me past the guest bedroom to the master bedroom instead. I felt flattered and excited that he’d invited me into his personal space even more than he already had. He trusted me on some level.

Alucard’s room was cool and dark, decorated in cream, gold, and hints of black. He had one of those old Victorian four-poster beds with the elegant veil canopies. He had hung a family portrait as well as other beautiful paintings, which gave the room a Gothic sort of atmosphere. The black comforter was one of those lovely fur-lined ones that looked as warm and cozy as a fireplace on a winter night. The furniture was all handmade with intricate designs and some of the best craftmanship I’d ever seen. He had small trinkets and figurines from various time periods as well a touch of silver from exotic weaponry displayed on the far wall.

“This is lovely,” I said as I gazed around at everything. “You’ve led an interesting life, Alucard.”

“That is one way to put it,” he said, still with that bit of self-deprecation in his tone. “You find things to cherish when you have eternity before you. The items you see are my attempts to immortalize my memories. It is important to remember as much as possible so that one can appreciate what they have before it is gone.”

“Is that how you see things now?” I asked gently. “Temporary?”

“In a way, yes. Some things are eternal.”

“Like what?”

He linked our fingers and raised our hands between us. “Feelings. Despite everything that is agonizing about being an immortal, I find that the way I have felt for those dear to me is not temporary. It endures. It can be a great comfort at times, but…”

“That’s why you don’t make friends often,” I finished for him. “Unless they’re immortals too. So you don’t also have to mourn them.”

Alucard nodded. I squeezed his fingers. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “It is a terrible privilege. My writing is my attempt to give back to the world what I have learned over the centuries. It is there that my loved ones can also be remembered in various forms. It helps me heal.”

He studied me for a moment. “And I think, in a way, this does as well.”

“What do you mean?”

He let go of my hand, but only to catch the hem of my big t-shirt. Alucard had told me not to feel like I needed to dress formally in his home. I’d been reluctant at first, but as time went on, I felt alright with wearing what I would normally wear around the house in the penthouse, which meant an oversized t-shirt and boy shorts. Alucard drew it up and off of me, his dazzling eyes roving over my newly bared skin. “I’d forgotten all the little things about both taking blood from a donor and being intimate with a woman that I like. I enjoy it so much more than a constant parade of strangers like back in pre-modern times.”

His hands settled on either side of my waist. I inhaled sharply before I could help it, a blush staining my cheeks even though I’d been expecting it. “Tell me, my dear. Are you naturally shy or are you shy because you are with me?”

“A little from Column A and a little from Column B,” I admitted. “It usually takes me a few times with a lover to be comfortable enough to show him what I like and to act on how I feel towards him.”

“I see.” He ran his hands up my sides slowly. My eyes almost rolled back in my head. It felt so good. “Are there things you wish to do to me, my dear?”

“Y-Yes.”

Alucard leaned in close, his breath warm against my lips. “Would you be good enough to tell me, pet?”

He anchored his hands on my hips and then scooped me up. I let out a little yip of surprise and wrapped my arms and legs around him as he carried me towards the bed. “Um, I…I love your hair. I’ve always admired it. I want to run my fingers through it.”

He let out a soft chuckle as he lay me on top of the comforter. “That is so perfectly innocent considering the circumstances. What else?”

“It’s embarrassing,” I admitted sheepishly.

“I still want to know,” he continued, pulling off my shorts.

“I want to try it with me on top,” I said in a small voice as he began to unbutton his white dress shirt. “I want to see what you look like underneath me. You’re so beautiful. Like an angel.”

“Far from it,” he mused, tossing the shirt aside. “A fallen angel, perhaps. Vampires are often likened to demons, after all.”

“I’ve never met a kind demon.”

He gave a little start, blinking at me as he unzipped his black slacks. “You think I am kind?”

“Yes. Very.”

He shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me.”

I stuck out my tongue. He chuckled as he crawled up to meet me. “I am unworthy of such a compliment.”

“You took me in. You’ve been protecting me. How is that not kind, Alucard?”

“It is a selfish endeavor,” he murmured, kissing the column of my throat. “I want you safe. I want you whole. But mostly, I want you all to myself.”

I shivered. “Alucard.”

“I know I should not say such things,” he whispered as he brushed kisses along the edge of my bra, just barely teasing my sensitive curves. “But it is a curse of mine. I become possessive of my donors at times, whether I realize it consciously or not. It’s not good for business, but I can seldom help how I feel.”

“Is that why Alyssa left?”

He paused, eyeing me, but then sighed. “Yes. She wanted to donate to multiple vampires and I could not handle sharing her. She left. It was a while before Trevor came along. With him, it was different. We nagged each other, teased each other, fought each other, and became great friends. I helped him come to terms with his sexuality, for instance, and in return, he became my donor. However, I actually met Sypha, and that helped me let him go. She is a wonderful girl. I did not mind sharing him with her, for she made him so happy. I could see it. She didn’t ask him to leave me; he did so because he was worried that he couldn’t keep us both happy. I told him to choose her, for she was a better match for him long term.”

I brushed his hair behind one ear. “Do you still talk to him?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “I check in every few months to be sure they’re alright.”

I ran my thumb over his cheekbone. “See? Kind.”

He kissed my palm. “No. Just an old man who wants two young people to find happiness. It is a rare thing, true love. They deserved a chance at it. I am not kind. I have done terrible things.”

“So have a lot of great men.”

He kissed the spot over my heart. “I do not deserve you.”

I hugged him to me for a moment. “Yes, you do.”

Alucard slipped his hands beneath me and unclipped my bra, tossing it aside. His mouth fell upon my breasts, but he also gripped my wrists to settle them on his shoulders. “Touch me.”

I shuddered at the command, running my fingers over his shoulders, down his arms, back up into that gorgeous, flaxen mane of his. His hair was heavy and silky and fragrant. It moved through my fingers almost like water, spilling into itself in my hands. Such beauty. I envied him.

“Tell me,” he said after he’d satisfied himself teasing my breasts. “Would you like me to taste you?”

I tried not to squirm as he kissed his way down my stomach. “Um, y-yes, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“B-Because I’m pretty sure you’ll be amazing at it and I’ve never, um, had that done to me before.”

Alucard frowned. “You are serious?”

“Yes.”

His lip curled up in a snarl. “I will kill each and every one of your former paramours.”

I almost laughed at the offended conviction on his face. “Alucard, all men aren’t into that sort of thing.”

“Sex is equal exchange. If you enjoy it and wish for it to be done to you, then your lover should be willing to please you within the bounds of their comfort zone.”

“W-Well, I’ve just never had a boyfriend who felt comfortable with it, I guess.”

“Ridiculous,” he muttered as he pulled my panties down and pushed my legs apart. “Allow me to correct this mistake.”

“B-But I don’t know how I’ll react,” I protested. “I might be…”

I tried to think of a word. “…unladylike.”

“My dear,” he said seriously. “If you are still behaving like a lady with my tongue deep inside your sweet little cunt, then that means I will have performed poorly. Your reactions arouse me to no end. Do not suppress them.”

He dragged me closer to him and spread his fingers out over my hips to hold me in place underneath him. I snatched a pillow and folded it sideways across my stomach, burying my face in it so I wouldn’t have to look at him examining every inch of me. “Mm…a pretty cunt for a pretty girl.”

“Alucard,” I whined, my voice muffled by the pillow. He laughed softly and lowered his mouth towards the apex of my thighs. I felt his hot breath first over my pelvis and then the tip of his tongue lightly nudged my clit—just a graze, as if testing me. I squeezed the pillow and tried not to close my legs on impulse as a startling crackle of pleasure leapt up through me. He licked it gently a few times and then closed those soft lips over it, sucking. I squashed the pillow against my chest and moaned frantically, bucking up from the bed as red-hot pleasure engulfed my naked body. Alucard parted his lips further and then carefully began to lick from the base of my slit up to my spot, his tongue gliding across my petals in turn on every other pass. I twisted helplessly from how amazing it felt, but his hands kept me grounded and still in the same spot.

He drew back for a moment and licked his lips. The lascivious slurping sound that followed took a year off my life. “I was right to call you sweet, my dear.”

_“Alucard.”_

The vampire chuckled. “You are adorable even while I’m fucking you with my tongue. Amazing.”

His mouth returned to me, but this time, his tongue slipped inside me.

All the way.

“Aaaaah!”

My spine arched, pushing my hips up towards his face. Alucard growled softly against my cunt and withdrew his tongue, moaning as he did it. “Yes, darling. More. Let me hear how I make you feel.”

His tongue slid in again, raking against all the most sensitive places; places I didn’t even know I had. Before I knew it, I’d draped my thighs over his shoulders and squeezed his sides with my legs, needing something to do, something to help release the building tension inside me. His lips sucked on every other thrust of his tongue, his mouth carefully angled so his fangs wouldn’t press into me, his pace impeccable.

“Oh, Alucard, please, ah, ahhh, please, Alucard!” I sobbed. “S-Stop, please, I’m gonna come.”

“Why should I stop, pet?” he rasped, his voice several octaves lower from arousal. “Why should I stop when I want you to come?”

I shook my head frantically. “It’s too much, it feels too good, I don’t deserve it, I can’t, I can’t—”

“You deserve every bit of this pleasure you feel,” he told me, kissing my wet inner thigh. “I give it freely. I want you to come. Come for me, my sweet. Come for Alucard like a good girl.”

“Alucard, _please.”_

“Mm, you’re such a good girl, darling,” he whispered, licking, kissing, nipping at me to make me moan even more. “So sweet. You’re a good girl, aren’t you? You want to come. You can come. It’s alright. Good girls get to come.”

“Fuck,” I whimpered as his tongue buried itself inside me again, thrusting faster and faster, until the whole world felt as if it had spun out of control. “Fuck, Alucard, oh God, I’m _coming.”_

I let out a final anguished moan and climaxed. Alucard didn’t withdraw, instead extending my pleasure with patient laps of his tongue, bringing me down from the height of ecstasy gradually. By the time he finished, I was a quivering puddle, gasping for air, drenched in sweat, shaken to my very core. My God. I’d had no idea anything could feel so goddamn _good._

“Shh,” he murmured as he climbed up the bed, stroking my stomach and side in soothing cycles. “Easy. Just breathe. Calm your storm.”

He tugged the pillow away and lowered himself on top of me, kissing my cheek, my jaw, my neck, his warmth helping me to settle again on the bed. “That’s it. Good girl. You did so well, my sweet.”

“I’m never going to survive you,” I said hoarsely, wiping my eyes. “Am I?”

“On the contrary,” he said with a smile. “You were brilliant.”

I sputtered. “I was brilliant? They ought to make a category in the Smithsonian for your oral sex skills.”

Alucard laughed. “Oh, dear. That would be quite the scandal, wouldn’t it?”

“It would be worth it. God. That was incredible.”

“Good. I wanted it to be.” He kissed me and then reached for the nightstand, applying a condom in just a moment.

Then he lifted me and rolled over, placing me over his lap.

“Alucard?”

He smirked up at me as he ran his hands over the ticklish spots on the back of my knees. “What the lady wants, the lady gets.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Do with me as you please, my sweet.”

Well, he didn’t have to tell me twice.

I ran my fingers lightly down his sculpted chest, his abs, stroking his pale skin and watching it flush pink from the attention. I flattened myself to him and kissed him, rolling my hips to rub my slick heat against his cock. Alucard hissed, gripping my waist impatiently, but he stayed the course. I teased him for as long as I could stand it and then lifted up enough to slide him into me.

God. It was just as good the second time around.

I tried not to rush. I savored the sight of his golden hair spread out over the pillow and his lashes fluttering each time I came down to meet him and his cock spread me, sinking deep. I swiveled my hips at the end of every thrust and Alucard arched up towards me, groaning in pleasure, seeking me, seeking more. I felt deliriously happy to see him in such a state. I’d never felt all that confident about my bedroom skills, but his moans and sighs filled me with pride. I wanted him to feel good, as good as he’d made me feel if possible.

Too soon, I felt my inner walls fluttering around his cock. I wanted more, but my body was too greedy, too ready to reach the edge again. Alucard licked his lips and stared up at me with those amber eyes, capturing me in them. “You want to come. So come.”

I shook my head. “N-Not yet, please.”

He ran his hands up my sides, his fingertips grazing my nipples, his voice utter sin. “But you need to come, my sweet. You need to come on my cock, don’t you? Right now. Mm, you’re so wet. So tight. You’re aching for it.”

“A-Alucard.”

He sat up and wrapped his arms around me, thrusting up into me harder, faster, making me cry out. His lips dragged down the side of my neck. “Yes, come, my dear. Give in to it.”

Alucard angled his hand between us and rubbed my clit quickly, driving a shaking cry from me as the pleasure racing through my veins surged all at once into that one spot. His mouth came down over my pulse and he bit me, spilling my blood into his mouth. The hint of pain mixed with the ecstasy and made me that much more sensitive. I shuddered and clung to him as he fed, just a few mouthfuls, nothing more.

The wounds sealed and Alucard flipped us on the bed, pressing me into the mattress with a mixture of lust and determination in his eyes. He pumped into me hard, fast, his eyes fixed on my writhing body as if nothing else existed. He fucked me straight into another orgasm in mere seconds, and only then did he follow me into nirvana. I buried my face in the space between his neck and shoulder as I rode the peak yet again, my nerves melting.

We lay there for a few minutes catching our breath, and then Alucard started to laugh. Strange reaction to what we’d just done.

“What?” I asked, prying my heavy eyelids open to look at him.

“A bite for a bite,” he said teasingly.

“Hmm?”

He pushed his hair aside to show me the teeth marks I’d left. I blushed so hard I thought I’d die. “I am not the only vampire in the room, am I?”

“Oh, hush, Alucard,” I fussed. “I didn’t even break the skin.”

“Hmm,” he said, licking his lips clean and then kissing me, his eyes glittering with mischief. “Perhaps next time you will.”


	7. The Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alucard make an adjustment to your agreement.

It wasn’t until I woke on my own—without the usual sound of my alarm—that I realized it was the first time I’d spent in bed with Alucard on a Saturday morning.

The vampire lay spooning me this time, his warm, firm skin molded to my spine comfortably, his breath against my nape. It was cool and still in the bedroom, some morning light pouring in, but not too much. I could easily go back to sleep from how tranquil the air in the room seemed. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but Alucard made me feel so safe. So…wanted. Not just because I was useful to him. He cared about me. What I thought. How I felt.

Shit.

That kind of thinking would get me into trouble.

This was a business arrangement. Sure, we were friends. I didn’t need to deny or ignore that part. I just needed to focus on that instead of whatever tangled emotions I felt. I tended to throw myself into things headfirst. I needed to be sensible here. I liked Alucard. He liked me. It didn’t need to go any further than that.

I tried to peek at the surface of Alucard’s phone on the nightstand to see what time it was. His voice broke through the crisp air; sleepy, growly, teasing. “If you attempt to get out of this bed right now, I shall punish you.”

I giggled myself silly. I felt his lips form a smile against my neck. “I’m not. Was just trying to see how long we’ve been in bed.”

“Inconsequential,” he said. “It is the weekend. No need to rise yet.”

“That’s shocking coming from you, Mr. Sunrise,” I pointed out. “I didn’t think you were the type for a lazy morning in bed.”

“I was not.” His arms squeezed me gently. “Now I have an incentive to stay in bed.”

Stupidly, I blushed. “Oh.”

He chuckled softly. “Your modesty continues to be the most charming thing about you, my dear.”

Grinning, I rolled over to face him. “What else do you like about me?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Why so curious all of the sudden?”

“Well, we have a unique situation here,” I said as I snuggled into his chest, twirling his golden hair around one finger. “We’re not dating. It won’t have an impact on the relationship if I ask you outright what you like about me. I don’t want to know out of vanity; just curiosity.”

“Mm. I see your point.” He brushed my mussed hair away from my face. “You are intelligent and strong willed. Humorous. Gracious. Thoughtful. Creative. Honest.”

“Really?” I asked eagerly.

“Yes,” he said fondly. “You also have a very calming aura. You are a good listener and you retain intricate details of what you have learned.”

I sighed wistfully. “Ugh, that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in months. I could just eat you up.”

I paused and then realized what I’d said. “Uh, sorry, no offense meant.”

“None taken. And, not that it matters, you are quite fetching, naked or otherwise.”

I giggled a bit more. “I still don’t believe it myself, but thank you. You must have been with so many beautiful people in your lifetime. You’re by far the most handsome man I’ve ever met, let alone been with intimately. I feel like I don’t measure up in that regard.”

“There is nothing for you to measure up to, my dear. Beauty has no standard. A person is beautiful because of what makes them who they are, not simply their physical appearance. I find you attractive because of your features, yes, but your personality enhances the attraction tenfold.” He ran his hand over the small of my back, which made me sigh in pleasure. “That being said, it is also your reactions. You experience your pleasure so completely. You allow it to consume you.”

I hid my face in his chest then, too sheepish to face him after hearing that. “I’m loud, I know.”

“It’s not about volume,” he chided, lifting my chin with a finger so I’d look at him. “It’s about sincerity. Sometimes women are taught to fabricate how they feel to stroke the man’s ego. I am pleased you do not feel the need to do so, that your enjoyment of our sex is natural instead of artificial.”

“I’m glad it doesn’t bother you.”

Alucard cocked his head slightly. “Why on Earth would it bother me?”

“Some men don’t like loud girls.”

He scowled. “Some men are idiots.”

I choked on a laugh. “Yeah, no shit. I’ve slept with my share of them.”

“How fortunate, then, that you have found your way to me.” He buried his face in my hair, kissing my neck as he lightly rubbed along my naked back. I purred and went slack in his arms, just enjoying it without a care in the world. I nearly floated off into the ether.

What brought me back was the feel of Alucard’s cock pressing along my inner thigh.

I started breathing faster, my body becoming alert with arousal almost instantly. I shuddered as I thought about last night, when he’d gotten rough with me, fucking me into the mattress like an utter savage, so beautiful and hungry all at once.

And how much I’d loved it.

“Alucard?” I murmured huskily as his lips passed my shoulder and then slid towards my collarbone.

“Mm?” he said.

“We should, um, probably…” My eyes fluttered shut as his soft lips hit the spot above my cleavage, his hair tickling one of my breasts.

“Probably what?” he breathed, lightly dragging his short nails up and down my back. Fuck, I was getting wet already from just that. We were in dangerous territory.

“S-Stop,” I muttered unconvincingly to finish the sentence. “Don’t want to…tempt fate.”

“Meaning what?”

I licked my lips. “We’re only supposed to have sex when you need my blood, right? You had it last night.”

“Ah, yes, quite true.” He pushed me to rest on my back and climbed on top of me, holding his weight off of me, but we were close enough that the heat of him radiated all down the front of my body. “Perhaps we should adjust the terms of the arrangement.”

“H-How?” I asked as I struggled to get my breathing under control.

Alucard’s long lashes lowered over his eyes, fixing me with a lustful, predatory look. “We could be…what is the term…friends with benefits.”

“In addition to the donor sessions?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I bit my bottom lip, thinking about it. “So…you and I could…have sex without exchanging blood? Whenever we want?”

“Yes.”

“You’re okay with it?”

He gave me a sly smile and gripped my hand, wrapping it around his hard cock. “You tell me.”

“Cheeky bugger,” I accused, but I also didn’t resist the offering; I stroked him steadily, enjoying the low moan that escaped him.

“I believe it is the best solution available. Do you agree?”

I wrinkled my nose, pretending to think, squeezing his shaft just enough to make him groan above me. “Oh, I don’t know, Alucard. There is so much to consider.”

He pinned me between his arms and leaned in close, his golden eyes filling my gaze, his voice sultry. “Oh, you are just asking for it, aren’t you, pet?”

“Asking for what?” I challenged.

“I will not act without your consent,” he whispered. “And the second I have it, I intend to fuck you within an inch of your life.”

Holy shit.

I was very much interested in that.

“My consent,” I said with an innocent lilt as if I weren’t still stroking his cock. “Meaning you need me to say ‘yes’ before you act, right?”

Alucard’s eyes narrowed. “Do not test me.”

I laughed. “Come on, I’ve never had this kind of pull over a man before. Let me enjoy it a little.”

“Oh, you will enjoy it, believe me,” he drawled. “The longer you stall, the harder I am going to fuck you. At the rate you’re going, you will not leave this bed until you have had at least three orgasms in exchange for all your troublemaking.”

“What’s life without a little danger?”

His fingers balled into fists. “Make that four.”

“You’re such a beast, Alucard.”

“You have no idea.”

I slid my other hand up to cup his cheek, my lips parting. “Yes, Alucard.”

He lunged for me.

Alucard ripped my hands from where they touched him and slammed them to the bed, effectively pinning me. He slid his knees up to spread my thighs even further apart and kissed me hard. It was just a blur of motion when he swiped another condom from the nightstand and slid it on. I moaned as he rubbed his cock along my sex over and over, until my wetness made him slick. He jerked his hips in an amazingly precise movement that slid him inside me.

My toes curled. I arched up from the bed as his cock seated itself deep inside me, but I was only met with the wall of muscle that was his chest. He flattened me to the bed with his weight and growled into my mouth as my inner walls flickered around his cock in naked anticipation.

“All mine,” he purred into my mouth. “This cunt is all mine.”

He eased almost all the way out of me and then slid in again, exhaling a sound of pure satisfaction. “These lips. This body. All mine.”

His tongue parted my lips and then slipped into my mouth, tasting the moan that escaped. He shifted himself above me so that my hips tilted back, my ass partially off of the mattress. My legs wrapped around him as he did, just out of instinct alone.

Then he fucked me.

_Hard._

So hard I didn’t know what to do with myself.

His cock forcibly slammed against the furthest reaches of my canal, all but pummeling my spot. He reached so deep from this angle that I instantly tightened up around him, my body clutching him, yearning for more. He spared me not an inch of his length, fucking into me so completely that his pelvis met mine and ground into my clit. The very thought of the sweet, gentle Alucard wanting me in such a raw display of desire made me sopping wet in seconds. Every inch of me drowned in the undertow of scorching hot pleasure, sizzling every nerve until nothing remained but sheer ecstasy.

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” Alucard whispered as he kissed his way across my jaw, brushing those soft lips against my ear. “My cock. My body. My sex. Satisfying you again and again. You are ravenous with need, aren’t you, pet? You can say it. I know you want to say it, my sweet girl. Go on. Let it out.”

“God,” I sobbed, gasping for air desperately, my head spinning, my inhibitions flying out the window. “Fuck me, Alucard. Please. Please fuck me.”

“Yes,” he murmured in that dark honey voice. “I’m going to fuck you into submission. Fuck you until you come apart for me. Until you scream for me. Until you scream for more. Your cunt feels so good, darling. Day and night, I want it. I want to sate it. I want to sate you completely.”

“Fuck!” I trembled violently underneath him, claiming my orgasm so abruptly that all I could do was cry out. Colors burst across my eyes, sprinkled with stars on the edges of my vision.

“Mm, good girl,” he drawled, rolling his hips as he felt me come around his cock. “Yes, that’s it.”

“Don’t stop,” I begged. “Please don’t stop.”

“No, I will not stop,” Alucard breathed, kissing down my throat. “Not until we are both satisfied.”

He released my arms in favor of gripping my legs enough to lift them onto his shoulders. His cock burrowed deeper still, piercing me at an angle and butting deliciously against all the right spots. Alucard planted his hands on either side of me and pistoned into me. My head flew back on the pillow and I shrieked as I scrambled to grip his forearms to center myself. The short, hard thrusts met their mark every single time. My slippery inner walls clutched him tight, so tight I could hear him above me groaning in want of more. It drove me to the edge as much as the heavy slap of our sweaty naked skin meeting time and time again.

A lightning bolt of pleasure ricocheted up my spine and I came again, shuddering wildly. Alucard licked his lips as he watched me from under those long lashes of his. He withdrew and dragged me up from the mattress, turning me around. His hands stroked up my thighs and then cupped my ass. I shoved my face to the pillow to muffle the moan that left me as he squeezed the plump flesh lovingly. My cunt welcomed him back enthusiastically as he delved inside me again, his hips automatically circling once he was sheathed to the hilt. His hands swept up my sides and gripped my breasts, his thumbs toying with my nipples until I let out a muffled whimper. His chest bumped my shoulder blades as he leaned over me, kissing my jaw. “Let me hear you, pet.”

I pushed up on my shaking arms and lifted my face from the pillow, blushing that he’d made such a request. His hands didn’t stop caressing my breasts as he slid out of me and then in again, rocking his hips into my backside in a steady rhythm. Pleasure unfurled and blossomed between my thighs and spread out, making me dizzy and overheated in seconds. His harsh breaths in my ear made me excited and eager to please him, so I balanced on my hands and shoved myself back against him on the apex of every thrust. Alucard’s grip tightened over my breasts as he felt me move.

“That’s it,” he urged. “Show me. Show me how you like it, my dear. Take your pleasure from me.”

His right hand navigated down between my legs and rubbed my clit as he picked up speed, thrusting harder, faster, until I cried out. Alucard sighed as he felt my orgasm, slowing up to soak it in. “Yes, yes, good girl. Come. Mm, you feel so lovely around me when you come.”

He scooped me up and scooted to the edge of the bed, settling me in his lap with my legs together. I caught onto what he wanted and balanced myself over him, my hands on his knees. I tossed my hair over one shoulder and dropped onto his cock with my full weight. I bit my bottom lip as it drove him into me sharply, the pleasure more acute, more potent than before. Alucard had reached his limit finally; I felt it in the way he clutched my hips and guided himself inside me, matching me thrust for thrust. I settled into his lap completely and swirled my hips in circles, grinding on his cock. Alucard swore and wrapped his arms around me to pin me to his chest, keeping us flush to each other. My control slipped. I lay my head back against his shoulder, eyes shut, moaning piteously as the two of us climbed towards the climax.

“Yes, yes, my darling, surrender to it,” he whispered feverishly.

“God, Alucard, please, please come, come inside me!”

“I would like nothing more.” His soft lips dragged against the side of my throat. “To come inside this sweet little cunt, bare, holding nothing back. To claim you for my own. To make you truly mine.”

I couldn’t stand his filthy words any longer. I melted away in his arms, undone. Alucard purred into my hair as he followed me over the cliff. For the briefest second, I let myself imagine him coming inside me without the barrier between us, shivering from the very thought of such a thing. It was such a reckless fantasy, which may have been why it appealed to me.

I roused as Alucard kissed my shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Great,” I mumbled, my eyelids heavy as I floated through the afterglow. “You?”

He chuckled. “Excellent, my temptress.”

I giggled. “Temptress?”

“Mm, yes, you certainly are,” he said, kissing my neck lightly. “I like you shy, but I like you bold just as much. You will have to convince me to let you go. I want to stay here all day.”

He petted my clit lightly to indicate what he meant by “here.” I shook with exhausted laughter. “I was right to call you insatiable. I’m afraid we can’t just lie in bed having sex all day. We’re responsible adults, remember?”

“Is that right?” After disposing of the condom, Alucard slipped his arms beneath me and maneuvered me back onto the bed. He rested us on our sides facing one another, one leg thrown over mine, his arm cradling me to his naked front. “Are you certain an exception cannot be made?”

“Such a shameless vampire,” I tutted as I tried to smooth out some of the post-fuck tangles out of my hair. “Staying in bed late and schtupping your donor four times in a row.”

“You started it,” he sniffed.

“I most certainly did not,” I echoed in the same posh tone he’d used. “I was the one who tried to reason with you, remember?”

“I suppose you did, but it was I who came up with the solution to our problem.”

I rolled my eyes. “All hail Alucard, solver of problems.”

He kissed me. “How I adore that sharp little tongue of yours.”

That got me thinking and my mouth ran off with the thought before I could stop it. “Alucard, do you like blowjobs?”

The vampire’s eyes went huge. He blinked a few times as he recovered and then answered. “Darling, I think you would be hard pressed to find a man who did not enjoy them.”

“Well, it’s just that you have focused on me when we’ve been together. I wasn’t sure.”

“You are still getting used to me,” he said, kissing my temple. “I did not want to push you. But yes, I enjoy them.”

I nodded. “Then it’s settled. Next time, we both participate in the foreplay. And I’ll wear something pretty for you.”

Alucard sealed it with a kiss. “Your generosity knows no bounds. Deal. Now rest. We’ve a lot of nothing to get done today.”

I snuggled into his embrace, smiling as I shut my eyes. “Sounds good to me.”


	8. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You come to a worrisome realization.

**One week later…**

“So…how’s it going being a vampire’s sugar baby?”

I glared at the surface of the phone. “Ha-ha.”

Bram chuckled. “Sorry, had to get that one out of the way. How are you, sweet pea?”

I peered into the mirror and concentrated on applying my eye liner correctly. “I’m okay. I wish we had more to go on for the investigation, but otherwise, I’m good.”

“Mm. You’ve fed with him a couple times now, right? How are you feeling about it?”

“It wasn’t how I thought it would be,” I admitted, capping the eye liner and grabbing my brush. “Not in a bad way. He was much more… _thorough_ than I thought he would be, first off. But more than that, he was extremely conscious of my comfort levels.”

I chewed my bottom lip for a second. “And, uh, we altered the agreement somewhat.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, um, in light of how…well, frankly, _amazing_ the sex is between us, he offered to be friends with benefits.”

Bram paused. “Did he now?”

I blushed a little. “Yeah. Is that bad?”

“No, that’s not bad,” Bram said in an exasperated tone. “It means you’re not only getting along, but you’re getting along so well that you want to spend extra time together. There’s nothing wrong with it…if you’re on the same page.”

Something in my gut twinged a bit. “Do you think we still are?”

“You tell me,” he said gently. “I had a hunch that was why you called. We’ve been texting this whole time, but this is the first time you’ve called me since you left my place. What’s on your mind, sweet pea?”

“Nothing,” I told him. “I just wanted to touch base with you and let you hear my voice.”

“Which I appreciate. But I think you’re not being honest with yourself. You want to talk. So talk.”

I sighed. He knew me way too well. I could never be distant with him. “I don’t know. I just wanted your opinion on the FWB situation. You have more experience with it than I do.”

“Are you sure you want to hear it?” he asked.

“Of course I do.”

He sighed. “Well, it doesn’t always work out. Sometimes it does. Often, it doesn’t. It sounds great on paper and it’s amazing when executed well. However, the most likely outcome is either becoming a couple or splitting up because one partner caught feelings and wants to turn it into a romantic relationship while the other one just wants things to stay the same. The general consensus seems to be that FWB can only work on a temporary basis. Very few people can sustain it for long without falling for their partner, given that they’re sharing themselves through the sex or just hanging out.”

I nodded. “I kind of had a feeling that was the case.”

“Then why did you agree to it?”

“I…think maybe it might be different with the two of us.”

“How so?”

“We really like each other. We’ve been honest this whole time. I don’t feel like I need to lie to him about how I feel and if no one is holding back, then we shouldn’t run into those kinds of problems, right?”

“I admit it probably is going to be different for you, what with the donor arrangement in the mix and because you’re temporarily living with him. Neither of you seems like the type who will find another interested party, so you won’t have to have that particularly difficult conversation. What concerns me is you mentioned he can get possessive. From what I can tell, Alucard is exclusive with his partners these days. The more time you spend with him, the more attached he’ll become. If you’re fine with it, then there’s nothing to worry about. You only need to worry if he starts to date you.”

“Date me?”

“Yeah, you know, gifts or spoiling you or taking you out on social activities. It’s very easy to slip into that kind of behavior unconsciously. If he does that, then you need to reevaluate the relationship and talk about what it is that you both want and if it’s the same thing.”

I spun the brush around in one hand, shifting from one bare foot to another. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I think we’ll be okay. I’m not the kind of girl Alucard would marry. He needs someone refined. I don’t think he’d catch feelings for me in that sort of way.”

“Uh-huh,” Bram said with the utmost sarcasm. “It’s not like you’re already his work wife or anything. Sheesh, sweet pea, get a clue. You’re already fulfilling his physical, emotional, and professional needs. It’s not that hard to imagine him falling in love with you.”

“He won’t,” I said firmly. “And neither will I. It would mess things up and we’ve both got something great going. We’d have to stop if that happened. So it won’t.”

“If you say so.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I grumbled.

“You wanted the voice of reason. I’m giving it to you. Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer.”

“Well, if nothing else, you keep me honest. Whether I want you to or not.”

He laughed. “It’s my job, sweet pea. Anyway, it’s getting late. I’m sure you have, ah, other obligations to get to this evening.”

I blushed again. “Oh, shush. You don’t know me.”

“Right. Tell me, how’s the new lingerie you bought fit?”

“Bite me, vampire.” I hung up on him in mid-laughter. Jerk.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror and decided I’d dolled myself up as much as I could without trying too hard. I slipped on the silver high heel sandals and fancy crimson Victoria’s Secret robe I’d bought and then padded out of the guest bedroom to Alucard’s room, where he was waiting for me. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He answered a moment later to invite me inside.

Alucard lay draped over the edge of the bed, resting reclined with his elbows on the fur-lined comforter, utterly relaxed and patient. His golden eyes tracked me from beneath his lashes as I approached, glittering with hunger and lust and excitement. He’d already stripped down to just his boxer-briefs. The sight of his pale, glorious chest had me breathing faster in only a moment or two of seeing it.

Since it was my first time dressing up for him, I wanted to look pretty, so I’d also worn some light silver eye shadow and had curled my hair a bit. Unfortunately, I was no sex kitten; I couldn’t think of something seductive to say to him.

Instead, I simply opened the robe and let it drop to the floor.

Beneath it, I wore black thigh-high nylons and a silk teddy with tasteful lace designs in silver that matched the heels. I’d gone through an entire Victoria’s Secret catalog until I found it. It was subtle but pretty. I thought he’d appreciate the attempt.

Alucard’s gaze dragged down my body and he let out a very husky, “Oh my.”

I felt my face heating up already. “Um, do you like it?”

“Yes,” Alucard breathed as he slid off the bed and stalked towards me. “Very much, in fact.”

He flattened his hand over my belly, lightly dragging it up over the thin material. “Is it comfortable?”

I tried to remain steady, but I wobbled a little on my heels as he reached the hem of the teddy, just barely brushing the outline of my breasts. “Y-Yes.”

“Mm. May I fuck you in it?”

I almost fainted. “Please do.”

He slid his hand up over my collarbone, then to my neck, then up to my jaw. He tilted my head back and kissed me deeply, until I was shivering all over and panting from anticipation. I’d wrapped my arms around his neck to just keep me upright; his kisses always made me lightheaded.

Alucard scooped me up and carried me to the bed, sitting on the edge. I could tell he fully intended to push the lace aside and fuck me upright, but I mustered up enough courage to whisper, “Not yet.”

“Hmm?” he asked. I just smiled and pushed on his shoulders until he lay flat on the bed. He gave me a slightly curious look until I pulled the hem of his boxer-briefs down and freed his cock. His skin was silky and outrageously hot to the touch already. He definitely hadn’t been lying about how much he liked my lingerie. Better still, his cheeks turned a bit pink as I balanced over him and stroked him until wetness leaked out of the tip to help me along.

“Is this alright, Alucard?”

“Yes, darling,” he murmured back, brushing my hair behind my ear. “I doubt there is anything you can do to me that I would not like.”

God, he was so sweet. His words emboldened me. I pressed my palm to his abdomen, lightly petting the sculpted muscles and soft skin there, just as I lowered my mouth to his cock. I kissed the tip and he hissed. His hands shot out and gripped my upper arms, but not hard, as if it had just been a reflex. The rosy hue over his cheeks spread further over his face. I observed him carefully. It must have been a while for him; he was certainly enjoying it. “You okay?”

He swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly. I circled the tip with my tongue, finally tasting him. His skin had a nice natural scent and he tasted slightly sweet, slightly salty. I pulled the head of him inside my mouth and he groaned my name, his fingers squeezing my biceps. I sucked and then relaxed my jaw more, allowing the shaft to slide in next and allowing as much saliva as possible to pool inside with it. Alucard’s head rolled back onto the bed and he let out a shuddering low moan. I sank him into my mouth and past into my throat, sucking once my lips hit the root of his cock. Alucard slid one hand into my hair and gripped the strands at the base of my neck, but he didn’t move me in either direction. He just needed an anchor, it seemed.

I released him one slow inch at a time, watching him the whole way to be sure he was still fine. His hips jutted upward just a bit when the tip was almost out. Oh, he was definitely enjoying himself. Good.

Now that I knew he’d be fine, I went to work. I swallowed him again and again, licking and sucking, listening to the music of his moans and sighs. He had told me that he liked how I gave myself over completely to pleasure and yet I noticed the same thing about him. My touch appeared to overwhelm him entirely, as if he couldn’t think straight or even say anything aside from the occasion “yes.” It filled me with pride to know I could do such a thing to such a beautiful man. Who knew how many lovers he’d had in the past. I hoped I stood out to him in some way.

“Darling,” Alucard gasped just as his cock pulsed hard in my mouth. “I will…not last much longer.”

“You can come, Alucard,” I told him. “I don’t mind. I want to please you.”

He shivered underneath me. “I…am not sure what I want.”

“It’s okay,” I said softly. “Whatever you decide, it’s okay.”

He licked his lips, his pupils huge and wide, turning his irises into gold rings. “I might lose control. It could hurt you.”

“I trust you,” I whispered. “You wouldn’t hurt me. I know you.”

Alucard ran his thumb across my lower lip, something reverent and grateful in his expression. “Then yes. I want to come for you.”

“Good.” I angled him into my mouth until I’d deep-throated his cock and then sped up my pace, stroking him hard each time he left, until at last he arched up from the bed with a rolling growl of elation. His cock throbbed and then spilled his come down my throat, slick and burning hot. I held my place and let it happen until he finished, then slid him free. Noticeably, he hadn’t softened one bit. Alucard had ridiculous amounts of stamina, it seemed.

I wiped my lips clean as I pushed up onto all fours. Alucard lay panting underneath me, his eyes shut, a light sheen of sweat over his skin that made him glow the slightest bit in the candlelight. It still floored me just how handsome he was sometimes, but especially while in the throes of passion. I could easily imagine the great painters of the past capturing his illuminating beauty on an oil canvas.

I kissed my way up his abs to his chest and then his neck, both cheekbones, eventually straddling him with a smile. “Still with me?”

“Most certainly,” he said with a languid sigh. “I may have bedded the perfect woman.”

I giggled. “You’re being ridiculous, Alucard.”

“I am, but I still believe it to be true.” He rolled me underneath him and pushed my knees further apart. I couldn’t help but moan as he moved the teddy aside and slid two fingers inside me. He captured my lips just as he did, so my cry came out muffled. He kissed me hard as he plunged his fingers inside my waiting heat. I’d been wet from the first moment I touched his cock, so he was met with no resistance whatsoever. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for dear life as he fucked those long, slender digits into me, arching my back to help them slide deeper.

Alucard broke from my lips and kissed my neck, his voice pure velvet in my ears. “You are beauty incarnate. You make me crave you like no other.”

“Alucard,” I mewled, my eyes rolling back in my head as he sped up his fingers until I was trembling underneath him. I reached the edge only for him to slip his fingers free. I almost shouted at him, but then he slid onto his stomach and propped my legs on his shoulders. His tongue found me instead, picking up where his fingers had left off. I buried my fingers in his hair as he licked and sucked every inch of me he could reach. He stroked my outer thighs as he went, sending thrills of goosebumps racing across my skin. Colors blended and melted in front of my vision as I reached the edge again, crying out for him. “Alucard, please!”

“Come,” he ordered, squeezing my right thigh. “Come for me, my sweet girl.”

 _“Alucard.”_ The tightness at my core snapped and unleashed a tidal wave of pleasure. I rode it until it abated, high as a cloud, beyond elated. Above me, Alucard licked his lips clean and climbed up over me, his posture predatory, his eyes intently fixed on mine.

“How badly do you want me to fuck you?” he whispered in my ear.

“Bad,” I whimpered as I wound my arms around him. “So bad, Alucard. Please fuck me.”

He sucked my ear lobe into his mouth. “You’ve no idea what you do to me, do you, pet? I want to devour you. Claim you. Make it so that no other man can ever satisfy you again.”

I shook my head. “Don’t want anyone else. Just you. Only you, Alucard.”

He groaned, dragging his soft lips down the side of my neck, pressing his hard cock to my pelvis. “You are so bewitching, my dear.”

My legs slipped around his hips and he bucked against me, growling. “Not yet, my sweet. Protection.”

“I don’t care,” I whispered. “I want you now. Fuck me. Fuck me raw, Alucard.”

He shuddered. “I shouldn’t.”

“I want you to.”

“Fuck,” he groaned. “I want your cunt. I want to feel you around me. I want to fuck you and come deep inside, fill you to the brim, until you cannot take anymore.”

“Then do it.”

Alucard pressed me down to the bed and shifted expertly until he found just the right angle. Then he slid his cock into me, no condom, just us.

I screamed. It felt _that_ good.

“Mm, my naughty girl,” Alucard whispered. “How you tempt me into breaking all the rules.”

He withdrew and completed a second thrust, moaning hard into my ear. “Fuck, you feel so good this way. So wet for me. Shall I fuck this wet little cunt, darling?”

“Yes,” I begged, clutching him to me. “Please, Alucard.”

He wasted not a second. He kissed me and then fucked me into the mattress harder than he ever had, so hard I could hear the four poster bed frame lurching from the force of his thrusts. God. Alucard had already felt phenomenal before, but now…I couldn’t even keep my wits about me. His cock filled me over and over, hitting all the right spots each and every time. Too soon, I felt my inner walls clutching him with all their strength, the climax threatening to break over me already.

“So tight,” Alucard hummed, our lips still touching, breathing each other in from inches away. “Come, my darling. Come for me.”

“Not yet,” I whimpered. “Please, I want more.”

“Greedy girl,” he teased, sliding one hand down my back until he reached my ass. He held me up against his lap and fucked me harder, faster, nailing my spot on the sixth or seventh thrust. I shrieked and clawed at his back, coming hard on his cock, writhing when he didn’t stop for even a second.

“Yes, little naughty pet,” he breathed. “This is your punishment for tempting me so wickedly. Come. Come again. Harder this time.”

He circled his hips at the end of every thrust, making the lace of the teddy rub furiously between our bodies, roughly stroking my clit. I squirmed and came a second time in under five minutes, shivering as the scalding rush swept up my body and seized control of all my nerves. “God, Alucard, please!”

“Mm, you want me to come, don’t you?” he purred, licking my lower lip, a sultry look in those amber eyes.

“Yes, please, Alucard.”

“How wanton you are. Dressing up for me. Sucking my cock. Begging me to fuck you and come inside you so recklessly. What am I to do with you, darling? Shall I give my little bad girl what she wants?”

I tightened my grip around him. “Yes, Alucard, _please._ ”

His lips curled up in a mischievous smile. “What the lady wants, the lady gets.”

He wrapped one hand around my throat and held me down to the mattress, sliding up until there was no space left between our lower bodies, pounding into me until I lost my head again. He shuddered as he felt me come a third time, and followed me over the cliff.

I couldn’t properly express just how goddamn amazing it felt. I couldn’t have said why; maybe it was some primal desire I’d uncovered or just a kink too tempting to resist. Either way, I’d never experienced that level of ecstasy and utter satisfaction before. The pleasure was unparalleled.

Damn it.

I was already in too deep.


	9. The Realization: Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alucard comes to a realization, so he consults an old friend.

There were many things that could keep Alucard up at night on occasion, but she was by far the prettiest of them all.

The sex had been phenomenal. They’d both cleaned up a bit and then fell into bed in each other’s arms. She fell asleep. He didn’t. He tried to sleep, but all he could think of was how utterly fantastic the sex had been, and how grateful he’d felt to share his penthouse with this lovely girl. How she fit into his life, both the professional and the personal. How delicious her blood felt on his tongue and dripping down his throat. How he would tear the bastard who had threatened her limb from limb for ever making her feel unsafe.

There were rules to this arrangement for a reason.

And he’d just broken a big one tonight.

Fortunately, she slept heavily. He carefully left her warm embrace and tugged the covers up over her shoulders. She nuzzled his pillow and fell deeper into sleep, not noticing his absence yet. Alucard smiled to himself and pulled on a pair of pajama pants before padding out onto the balcony with his cell phone.

The city’s lights twinkled merrily before him, unaware of his troubles. The breeze ruffled his hair and cooled his skin, relaxing him somewhat. He watched the cars pass below for a while and then made the call he’d been procrastinating to make for weeks.

“You frigid vampire bastard,” Trevor Belmont said in his usual sleepy growl. “Do you have any bloody idea what time it is?”

“You and I both know you were not asleep,” Alucard said frostily.

Trevor laughed. It was rough and uncultured. It was one of Alucard’s favorite laughs on Earth. “Damn it. I’ve got to get better at lying. How’ve you been, you sulky asshole?”

Alucard leaned against the banister. “Good. You?”

“Ah, same old, same old.”

“Neck deep in trouble, then?”

“Yep,” Trevor said cheerfully. “But the good kind of trouble, not the bad kind.”

Alucard raised an eyebrow. “I was unaware there is a good kind of trouble.”

Trevor scoffed. “Lies. We got into enough that you ought to recognize it by now.”

Alucard huffed. “If you say so.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t fool me. You’re in it right now, aren’t you? I can hear it in your voice.”

Alucard blinked in confusion. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m bloody not,” Trevor said, sucking his teeth in annoyance. “You’ve got that tone you get when you’re conflicted. So go on, tell me. What’s new?”

Alucard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I…met someone.”

“Oho, a girl then, is it?” Trevor said excitedly. “How’d you meet her?”

“She saved my life.”

“Holy shit. What happened?”

“Some disgruntled ex-boyfriend and his friends took a shot at me one night at a bar. She hit them with her car.”

Trevor whistled. “Wow, you hit the jackpot, didn’t you? Then what happened?”

“It turns out she was qualified to work for me as my personal assistant…and donor.”

Trevor paused. “Are you serious? You hired her instead of asking her out?”

Alucard bristled. “She is an excellent personal assistant. The best one I’ve ever had.”

“Uh-huh. Then how’d you muck it up?”

Alucard frowned. “I haven’t.”

“Uh-huh. Right. Let me guess: you’re having second thoughts about her.”

“No. I…” Alucard hung his head, his voice soft and a bit ashamed. “I like her.”

“Of course you like her, you great flaming idiot,” Trevor spat. “She’s your friend and your donor and your lover. I’d be more worried if you _didn’t_ like her.”

“You don’t understand,” Alucard sighed, pushing his long hair out of his eyes. “I _like_ her.”

“Wait, wait. You like her? The way you liked me?”

Alucard blushed a bit. “Yes.”

“Well, it’s about bloody time! D’you know how long it’s been since you liked anyone, you dolt? Like eight months or something, maybe more.”

“That is not what we agreed. I am violating our agreement.”

“Oh, boo fucking hoo. That doesn’t mean you should run with your tail tucked between your legs. It’s bad enough you let me get away; you’d better not do that a second time.”

“I did not let you get away,” Alucard sniffed. “I simply appealed to your sense of reason and presented the evidence that Sypha is a much better fit for you.”

“Bollocks,” Trevor said. “You let me get away and you know it. The reason you called is because you want me to tell you what to do so you don’t blow it again.”

Alucard scowled. “I somehow forgot how annoying you are.”

“And I forgot how arrogant you are. Alucard, the act of sharing blood is the act of sharing yourself. So is sex. There will never be a time that you can do both without starting to like someone, not unless you give up fresh blood and move exclusively to blood packs.”

Alucard’s stomach flopped just thinking about it. He really didn’t care for blood packs. “But she is…important to me. I fear that I will hurt her in the end.”

“How do you think you’d do that?”

“If she does not return my feelings, I would be ruining her life. She left another job to take this one. Her last relationship ended on bad terms. She was recently threatened by one of the vampires she saved me from, so she’d have to find somewhere else to live as well.”

“Bloody hell, you’ve really stepped in it, haven’t you? No wonder you called.” Trevor paused. “Alright, let’s look at this another way. What is she like?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Just answer the question.”

“She is…kind. Thoughtful. Shy. Self-deprecating. Intelligent. A little naïve, I admit, but I suppose I perceive her that way because I am cynical.”

“She sounds like she’s your type. If the sex is good—which I am certain it is because I know you—then she’s the total package. You haven’t had that in…ages, right? Of course you’re worried that you’ll hurt her, but I bet you anything she feels the same way about you.”

Alucard winced. “I cannot say that for certain.”

“Maybe you can’t, but I certainly can. You’re charming and considerate. You probably inadvertently swept her off her feet. It’s very likely she feels exactly how you do, but because of the agreement, she’s keeping it to herself.”

“But you know how quickly the relationship can deteriorate if we both address it,” Alucard said. “If I tell her how I feel and she does not return my feelings, we cannot continue. I do not want to lose her.”

“Alucard, it sounds like this might be the real deal for you. Or at the very least, the start to what that’s like. As your friend and former donor, I am telling you: be honest with her. No good will come if you keep waiting and holding onto her because you’re afraid. You’ll just invest in her more and more and if things go sideways, you’ll be a wreck.”

Alucard’s gut clenched into a ball of ice. “I don’t know if I can do that, Trevor.”

“Yes, you can,” Trevor said in a gentler tone. “You’ve done it before plenty of times. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s the right thing to do and you know it.”

He hung his head. “I want to keep her.”

“Then you have to be willing to risk losing her. That’s just how it works, Alucard.”

“How what works?”

“Love.”

Alucard stiffened. “You…think I love her?”

“Maybe not yet, but you’re on the way there. I have never heard you talk about a donor for this long. It’s too soon to tell, but you’re already showing the signs.” Alucard heard movement and then muffled voices. “Sypha wants to say hi.”

Sypha Belnades’ soothing voice filled his ears. “Hello, Alucard.”

He smiled fondly. “Hello, my beloved Sypha. How are you? I hope that idiot isn’t getting you into too much trouble.”

She laughed lightly. He loved her laugh too. “Just enough. Trevor tells me you are in love.”

Alucard groaned. “I am not in love, Sypha.”

She giggled. “You sound in love.”

“I do _not._ ”

“Well, either way, you do sound…different. I thought I might be able to offer a bit of perspective.”

“Far be it from me to refuse such an offer.”

“You’re worried she doesn’t return your feelings, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you don’t want to confront her yet, right?”

“Yes.”

“I have an idea. Pick one of your friends or associates and tell her that they asked about her, as in they would like to take her out to dinner. See what she says. If she asks for their number, it’s possible she does not return your feelings. If she says no, listen to the reason why. If she mentions your arrangement, she may feel the same way you do, but she is too shy to speak up about it. It would at least be a step in the right direction. But in the end, you have to tell her. It’s the right thing to do.”

“It must be,” Alucard muttered. “Otherwise it would not feel so terrible.”

“My poor darling,” she cooed sympathetically. “I’m sorry your heart is so confused. But this might be a good thing! It might mean that you can be happy.”

“Perhaps.” He took a deep breath. “It is late. I do not mean to keep you both up. Thank you for your advice. Give Trevor my regards.”

“I will. Please call again soon, Alucard. We miss you.”

His heart fluttered a bit. He smiled warmly, wishing she could see it. “I miss you too, Sypha. Good night.”

“Good night, Alucard.”

He hung up. No sooner than he did, the balcony door opened. He turned to see the subject of the conversation standing there in one of his t-shirts, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Alucard? Is something wrong?”

“No, darling,” he said. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh.” She padded over and hugged him. “I’ll stay up with you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “No need, my dear. I’ll be alright.”

“I can’t get to sleep without my Alucard by my side,” she insisted, taking his hand. “So we’re going to watch a boring documentary until we both fall asleep on the couch.”

He chuckled. “As you wish.”

-

The next morning, Alucard headed to the mailbox to collect the previous evening’s mail. He sorted through the usual credit card bills and utility fees, but then something at the bottom of the pile stopped him.

A blank envelope.

Alucard ripped it open and unfolded the paper inside, reading the messy handwriting.

_Got her nice and cozy with you, I see._

_Just how long do you think you can keep her safe from me?_

_Let me answer that for you._

_Not long._

_Your Friend from the Parking Lot_


	10. The Set Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alucard demand answers from the private investigator and try to figure out how to stop the stalker.

I’d never seen Alucard angry before. It was…something else.

Without preamble, he strode through the private investigator’s door and slammed the new threatening letter in the center of the P.I.’s desk. “I am not in the habit of hiring incompetent people to work for me.”

“Alucard,” I said in a gently chiding tone, resting a hand on his arm. “Easy.”

The P.I., Cameron Peterson, was just shy of 5’8’’, had brown hair and a goatee, and unremarkable features. I assumed this worked in his favor observing people for a living and digging up dirt about them. He didn’t react, merely pulling the letter towards him to read it. “When did you receive this?”

“This morning,” Alucard said, crossing his arms. “And if I do not like your answer as to why you have not found this man, our business is concluded.”

The P.I. sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, staring at the letter. “I checked the records of all the doormen and nothing flagged for any of them. I’ve been tracking the mailmen and so far, none of them have displayed any unusual behavior when they deliver to your building. It stands to reason that the stalker just waited until the mailman wasn’t paying attention and slipped the letter in with your stack. I very much think he hasn’t managed to enter undetected given the level of security in your building. I also think if he had successfully gotten inside, he would have left it at your door, not at your mailbox. The fact that it’s been this long and I’ve yet to confirm visual sighting means he must have a hiding spot within the nearby buildings rather than on the street. Same for the Fahrenheit Publishing office building. He’s smart enough to stay out of sight. If the police can’t find record of this man in the system, then it means there is no definite way to track his whereabouts unless he finally makes a mistake and shows himself.”

“We cannot wait that long,” Alucard said. “We need to catch him on our own terms.”

“What if we set a trap?” I asked.

“My dear, that is not necessary.”

“It might be at this point. It’s been enough time that Peterson—who has like twenty years of experience in this area—hasn’t even been able to spot the perp. We’re talking about an immortal stalker. One who is nearly as fast, strong, and vicious as you. The only way to level the playing field is force him onto our turf, so to speak.”

“She’s not wrong,” Peterson said. “If we set up a sting, he’s done, even if he’s not in the system. If we film him trying to hurt her, then the cops have no choice; they can’t chock it up to harassment. They would then have the grounds to arrest and prosecute him.”

“You are assuming he is acting alone,” Alucard said. “There were five of them that attacked me that night. I am not walking you into an ambush.”

Peterson shook his head. “The pattern shows one party’s involvement. One vampire can keep himself concealed for this long, but several? Not likely. Now, granted, he may ask for backup, but the letters and the stalking is just one man.”

“It does not matter,” Alucard said. “I am not willingly placing you in harm’s way.”

I took a deep breath. “Alucard, I understand and appreciate your concern, but this is my life. I can make this decision with or without you. Your choice.”

Alucard stiffened, his eyes wide as he stared at me. I kept my expression neutral, but didn’t back down. Several emotions shone in his eyes—anger, fear, worry, disbelief—but eventually he took a deep breath and shut them. When he spoke, his voice held more tension than piano wire. “I apologize. I did not mean to speak for you. You are right; it is your life that has been threatened and I have no right to make demands. What is it that you propose?”

“We construct a trap. Present him with an opportunity to act and once he is out in the open, you take him down.”

“We have been very careful up until now. Wouldn’t he notice something so obvious?”

“Not if we trick him. You and I could have a public argument. I storm off by myself, and it would be irresistible to him to catch up with me alone. Meanwhile, you and Bram and anyone else you feel is willing to help is waiting in the wings to pounce. That way, if he does bring his friends, the odds are in our favor.”

“It’s risky, but it could work,” Peterson agreed. “It would be a faster solution than just hoping he screws up. But you can’t overdo it. You can’t hire a whole security team; it’ll show your hand. It needs to be you and people you explicitly trust. You also have to consider the fact that this may end messy. Be prepared.”

“There is no other way for things between vampires and humans to end,” Alucard said quietly. “Very well. We will contact you with a date and time.”

With that, we left the P.I.’s office. We returned to Alucard’s Jaguar. I couldn’t stand the stony silence for more than a few minutes. I gathered up my courage and spoke up. “I’m sorry, Alucard. I know you want what’s best for me. I don’t mean to be obstinate or reckless.”

His fingers tightened on the wheel. I could see him struggling to remain calm, but it wasn’t working. “You have every right to act as you have done. There is no need to apologize.”

“Alucard, you’re angry,” I said softly. “It’s okay. Talk to me.”

He swallowed hard. “I am not angry with you. I am…upset.”

“I know. But I need to understand why.”

“You do not understand what is at stake here,” he whispered hoarsely, staring out of the windshield at traffic with a haunted look. “Facing a vampire who is intent on killing his quarry is unlike anything you can comprehend. I do not mean that in a patronizing way. I mean that you have never experienced that kind of violence and sadism.”

His jaw clenched. “And I have. From my father.”

I touched his arm lightly. “You don’t have to talk about him. I don’t want you digging up bad memories.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly. “Yes, you’re right, it’s unwise to go that route right now. I have seen other vampires perform truly heinous acts on their victims. If he gets his hands on you…I do not know what I will do. The thought of you strung up and bled dry for his selfish, petty need for revenge…”

Alucard shook his head. “It makes me wish we had never met.”

I squeezed his arm. “But we did meet. It’s no use gnashing your teeth about it now.”

I paused. “No pun intended.”

He let out a low, weak chuckle. “Indeed. But this is what I always fear when I take on a donor. I fear that all roads eventually lead towards pain and suffering. As if it is the destiny of all relationships between vampires and humans.”

I said nothing. But I did pull his hand off the wheel and hold it for the rest of the ride back to his place. By now, it was lunchtime, but neither of us were hungry. Instead, I poured us both some of Alucard’s fine whiskey. He sat on the couch, one hand in his hair, his head bowed, eyes closed, still as one of the oil paintings in his room. My heart hurt. I was terrified, yet all I could think about was how hard it had to be for him to care for someone who could be taken away in the blink of an eye. It made me wish I were stronger, so I could protect myself, and him as well.

He accepted the whiskey and took a long sip. I stood between his legs and ran my fingers through his hair. He sighed at the gesture and then pulled me into his lap until I straddled him on the couch. We sat there a while, silently drinking whiskey together, simply touching each other.

“Regardless of the outcome,” I whispered. “I’m still glad I met you.”

“How can you be?” he murmured. “All I have done is take from you. Your time, your safety, your sex, even your blood.”

I drained the rest of my glass and set it on the coffee table. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Because you’re worth it, Alucard. You’re a good person and a good friend.”

I kissed his forehead. “Whether you believe it or not. Everything I have given you, I gave freely and sincerely. And you have given me so much in return, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you.”

He stroked my cheek. “I swear that I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

“I know you will.” I rested my head below his chin and closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat. He held me. I hadn’t realized just how drained the whole ordeal made me until I woke up on the couch a couple hours later, draped across Alucard. He’d stretched out lengthwise along the couch with his arms around me, the wool blanket spread across us for warmth. I thought about it for a bit and realized I hadn’t ever napped with someone before. Usually with boyfriends, the only time we slept had been when one of us was spending the night. A simple, comfortable nap was different somehow. Intimate, but in another way.

Alucard stirred as I kissed the side of his jaw, those long lashes lifting to look down at me. “Mm. It has been quite a while since I have taken a nap during the day. You are a bad influence, my dear.”

“Why am I getting blamed for this?” I teased. “Maybe you fell asleep first.”

“Unlikely,” he sniffed. “You are corrupting me, little by little.”

“That is the plan,” I confirmed before kissing him. I fully intended to draw away, but his arms encircled me even further to keep me pressed to him. He licked into my mouth with a sigh and a moment later, I felt pressure against my inner thigh.

“Alucard,” I said, flashing him a warning look. “Don’t we have to plan for how to catch my stalker?”

“Yes,” he said, lightly nipping my lower lip. “Which I am certain we can do after multiple orgasms.”

I giggled. “Alucard, you’re terrible. We had sex just last night. You are abusing our agreement.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I do not recall there being a limit to how often we can indulge in wicked delights. You should have gotten it in writing, darling.”

I giggled harder as he sought my ear lobe, sucking gently as he pushed my blouse up over my khakis. He rolled his hips up enough to drive a breathy sigh out of me and then cupped my ass in both hands, pushing me into the bulge in his slacks. I shuddered with need as it made my core tighten and heat bloom through me in a rush.

“Mm, I wonder if I could make you come just from this,” Alucard whispered, lightly licking the spot under my jaw, his warm breath rustling my hair. “You are so sensitive.”

“Don’t you dare,” I protested weakly. I was already aching and throbbing, greedy for more, and it would be highly embarrassing if he dry humped me into an orgasm. I still had my pride, dammit.

He dragged the blanket off of me and pulled off my shirt, unsnapping the bra next. His lips claimed my right breast as he swept his hands down my naked back, stroking me like a cat. I did my best to unbutton his dress shirt as the dizzying pleasure flushed me from head to toe. He groaned happily as I palmed his abs and sunk my nails into his muscles impatiently.

“Pants,” he hissed with a commanding edge to his voice, rocking his hips up into me harder. “Off. Now.”

I wriggled out of them and Alucard wasted no time sinking two fingers inside me. I cried out and gripped the cushions on either side of his head, collapsing forward as my inner walls clutched him impossibly hard. Alucard’s hot mouth continued laving over my nipples as he quickly pumped the long digits inside me until I was slippery to the touch. I couldn’t help pushing down onto his hand to slide his fingers deeper, my hips finding a matching rhythm in only seconds. The pleasure made me lose my head in only minutes; I found myself making little frustrated noises as I writhed on top of him.

“Yes, my dear, take it,” Alucard rasped. “Take what’s yours.”

He carefully fit a third finger inside me and made a beckoning gesture, hitting my spot. I hit the climax at full speed, shivering my way through it. Alucard shoved his slacks down and dragged me forward, kissing me sloppily. The remaining shred of responsible adult in me told me to say something about condoms, but I knew damn well I didn’t care. It was far too late for both of us. I was still on birth control and I liked it so much more feeling Alucard come inside me.

His cock delved into me. I sunk down onto it an inch and a time, trembling the whole way and muttering “fuck” over and over the whole time. Alucard let out a truly delicious purr as my cunt gripped him tightly and didn’t wait; he slammed up into me, sending a lightning bolt right up my spine that exploded in my brain stem with pure ecstasy. He gripped my hips and controlled the pace, his fingers digging into my soft skin just enough to let me know his need. I anchored myself over him and didn’t fight it, letting go, fucking him as much as he fucked me in return. I couldn’t handle just how amazing he felt inside me, how his growls and sighs made me wetter with every stroke, how his touch set me aflame.

“Alucard, I’m close,” I whimpered into his mouth. “Maybe we should…slow down.”

“You will do no such thing,” he growled back, his eyes half-lidded, gleaming with conviction. “Come on my cock. Now.”

My eyelids fluttered. Oh, God, no, he couldn’t do that, it wasn’t fair. “Alucard, please.”

“Come,” he ordered. “Come, my girl. Sweet girl. Good girl. Come with my cock deep inside you. I know you feel it. I know you feel me right where you want me.”

I squirmed in his lap, but he just chuckled and held me tighter, grinding his pelvis to mine in a circle. “Oh, yes, there it is. Right there. My favorite fucking spot inside you. Take it. Take it right there, my sweet.”

I fell apart that very second, moaning incoherent nonsense as he fucked that tight spot until I unraveled. Alucard groaned wantonly and petted my spine as I climaxed, whispering that I was a good girl the whole time.

Then, in an agile, graceful movement, he rolled us off the couch and onto the Parisian rug. It surprised me, but only for a moment; I wrapped my legs around his waist as he balanced over me. His breathing turned to harsh pants of excitement as he took me on the rug, thrusting wildly. I raked my nails down his bare chest, unable to help myself, my head thrown back in elation as he fucked me harder, faster, until I melted underneath him.

I grabbed a fistful of his golden hair and yanked him down to kiss me as he hit just the right spot, triggering the orgasm for the both of us. Alucard moaned out my name as he came inside me, every syllable of it heavenly in that honeyed voice of his. I locked my ankles around his back and bucked upward, trying to extract every drop out of him that I could. Alucard shuddered all around me and finally stilled after a few moments, leaning his weight on one elbow so I wouldn’t be crushed beneath him. We both lay there catching our breaths until Alucard let out another soft chuckle.

“If every nap ends this way, consider me a fan.”


	11. The Sting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alucard and Reader put their set up plan in action.

“Are you ready, my dear?”

Alucard squeezed my hand. I squeezed it back. “Yes.”

He raised it to his lips and kissed it. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

He licked his lips, his voice rough, eyes downcast, not really seeing the steering wheel of the Jaguar, I suspected. He’d been a little distant in the days leading up to our trap. I couldn’t blame him. We had so much at stake, no pun intended. “We…should talk. Once this is over. I have things I have been meaning to say that are long overdue.”

I swallowed hard. “Oh?”

“Yes,” he said quietly. “I have already waited too long out of fear.”

That almost stopped my heart. What the hell could scare Alucard? He was probably the strongest person I knew. “Whatever it is, I’m willing to listen. You shouldn’t have to carry it alone.”

“If I am right about my suspicions, I haven’t been carrying it alone,” he said with a small smile. Then he sighed. “Let’s go. It’s time.”

He let go of my hand. I steeled myself and then shoved the passenger side door open. I climbed out and slammed it shut, whirling around to glare at the vampire, my voice hot as a poker. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Exactly who I have always been,” Alucard snapped as he shut the door as well and then stalked over to me. “Alucard Tepes, son of Vlad Tepes. I remain unchanged by the centuries and yet you expect me to be the man of your dreams, fulfilling your every insipid fantasy.”

“If you were the man of my dreams, then you wouldn’t be clinging to me like a tick,” I shot back. “I need space, Alucard. I can’t breathe around you. Everything must be just the way you like it, no room for change or spontaneity. You may be all powerful and immortal, but I have my own thoughts and desires. I’m not your pet and I’m not your prisoner.”

“You would not be where you are now without me,” he sneered. “So perhaps you ought to mind your tongue.”

I let out a brittle laugh. “You know what? I was fine without you before we met. I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine without you now. Goodbye, Alucard.”

I turned and started to walk away, but he grabbed my elbow. “Don’t you walk away from me—”

I slapped his hand off of my arm. “You don’t own me, Alucard. And you never will. Find yourself another donor. I’m done.”

I stalked down the sidewalk past the nosy onlookers. It was hard not to look back. He’d played his part flawlessly, but the words and inflections behind them felt scarily real. I tried to shake off the insecure worm of fear in my belly and stomped towards my destination. It wasn’t hard to summon up tears as I went around the corner past the shopping centers. I only wished I had Alucard’s vampire senses so I could tell if my stalker had indeed heard everything and had begun following me. For now, we had to wait and see.

My destination was Mimi’s Bookshop. It was one of those true blue historic buildings that had been in the city unchanged for decades. Alucard knew the original owners and had kept a working relationship with their descendants, partnering with each other to sell his books and to promote their shop. It was late, after dinner time for most people, so the bookshop was mostly empty. I walked inside, nodding to the girl up front as imperceptibly as possible to let her know we were on.

The bookshop had two floors; non-fiction on the bottom floor, fiction on the top floor. I took the spiral staircase up and walked past the tables set up in the center before I reached the bookshelves. The place was a rather good size. It had about sixteen shelves broken into sections by genre. I made my way to the romance section and then flopped down on a stool, burying my face in both hands. I dug up all of my fears and unleashed them at once until I was crying brokenly where I sat. It was uncomfortably easy to give in to the worries that my stalker would find me and kill me or Alucard, or that Alucard would find out that I cared too much for him and would terminate our arrangement. After all, he’d said so himself that he wanted to talk to me. What else could it be about?

I didn’t count the minutes of how long I stayed there bitterly weeping, but eventually, I felt a sudden chill that told me I was no longer alone. I lifted my tearstained eyes to see a man standing at the end of the aisle blocking my exit.

He was tall and fit, dressed in an expensive navy suit nowhere near this century. It reminded me of the British Victorian era, in fact. Very Sherlock Holmes. He had dark brown hair and would’ve been handsome if not for the alien look of hunger on his features. His eyes were an unnatural color, too pale yellow to be anything near human, the kind of gold you saw on a big cat or a wolf. Alucard’s eyes were gold, but not like that. These eyes were…empty.

And I recognized them immediately.

There had been five men in the parking lot that attacked Alucard, but he had been the one who tried to struggle to his feet and go after my car after I’d hit them. The impact had hurt him, so he hadn’t been able to give chase, but I’d seen those ravenous wolf eyes in my rearview mirror right before we escaped. This was the ringleader, the one whose girlfriend dumped him for Alucard. He must have thought this was the best way to get even; taking me from Alucard same as he felt Alucard took his girl from him. Swell. What a gentleman.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he asked in an oily voice that had a hint of European in it. Couldn’t place him. All I could get out of that accent was “not American.” “Someone so pretty shouldn’t be so sad, you know.”

I wiped my cheeks and stood up, placing my back to the wall. “Everyone gets sad sometimes, even pretty girls.”

“Yes, I suppose they do,” he said, running his fingers over the shelves as he casually strolled forward. My heart pulsed hard against the side of my neck. I wanted to punch him in the throat and then bolt downstairs towards safety. But I couldn’t do that. I was the bait.

He cocked his head slightly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Back the fuck up, for one,” I said without thinking.

He blinked at me a few times and then laughed. “Pardon me. I don’t mean to intrude. I simply thought that I might be able to cheer you up.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said with feigned coolness. “Who are you supposed to be, my hero?”

“Alastair,” he said, tilting his head slightly in greeting. “And I’m everyone’s hero. I can be yours, if that’s what you want.”

“And if it isn’t?”

His smile widened, exposing his fangs. “Then I’ll persuade you otherwise.”

I crossed my arms. “Really? I’d like to see that.”

“You will,” he promised. “But not here. We need intimacy and privacy for that.”

“An empty bookstore is plenty intimate and quiet, I think.”

He clucked his tongue. “But it’s not empty.”

“Oh?”

“No,” he murmured, the smile fading. “Not with the vampires closing in on our location and the armed human in the backroom waiting for you to bring me to him.”

I kept perfectly still. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He let out a chilling little laugh. “You are a clever little fox, sweetheart, but you’re not an actress. Your heartbeat is elevated, but not panicked. You brought me here to trap me so your Alucard could swoop in and teach me a lesson. I know about the cameras and the dumpy private investigator filming our little interaction for evidence. Just as well. I was getting tired of doing this the hard way.”

“Then let’s make it easy,” I said. “Leave me and Alucard alone or we will bury you.”

“You are in no position to be making threats,” he hissed. “I’ll have eaten out your throat long before your man in hiding gets up those stairs.”

Alastair lunged for me.

And I withdrew the silver dagger inside my trench coat.

He stopped mere inches from me as I aimed it at his throat, one hand on the handle, the other on the butt so I could shove it right into his chest if he came any closer. His empty yellow eyes fixed on the glinting blade. I could see him rethinking his strategy.

“Kitten’s got claws, I see,” he mused. “Very nice. But you don’t have it in you to kill me.”

“Are you sure?” I asked quietly. “Enough to die to find out?”

He beamed at me. “Yes, precious. After all, that’s the game. So make your move.”

I stared at the smug confidence in his gaze. Cold filled me. Something was wrong. We’d gone over this plan for weeks, down to the letter. It should have taken no more than a few minutes for Alucard and Bram to enter the bookstore and corner Alastair, and for Trevor to back them up. The girl at the counter had missed her window to signal me; she had been planning to hit the bell on the counter to let me know they’d arrived.

No bell.

God, no.

I held my stance, but I could feel the panic creeping up my spine. “What did you do?”

“Your plan was solid,” he said. “But I was just a few steps ahead. Drop the knife and we can negotiate.”

“Go to hell.”

He grinned. “I admire your spirit, little fox, but I have a limited amount of patience. Drop the knife or I will simply take it from you.”

“Then do it,” I snarled. “Because if you have hurt Alucard or my friends, then the last thing I do before I die will be to slit your fucking throat.”

Alastair licked his lips. “Oh, you are just a treat, aren’t you? Let’s make a mess, love.”

He pounced. His right hand reached for my throat. I drove the dagger down and speared his palm straight through. Instantly, his skin hissed and bubbled and burned bright red. He cried out, but it didn’t stop his momentum. He slammed into me and my head bounced off one of the wooden shelves, dazing me. The room pinwheeled for a second as I threw myself to the other corner and tried to yank the dagger free to stab him again.

Growling, Alastair backhanded me before I could rip the dagger free. I flew several feet off the ground and crashed into one of the tables. Pain. So much pain. My back, my shoulder blades, my head, everything throbbed in agony.

I grabbed the edge of the table and tried to pull myself to my feet. I felt blood on the back of my skull. I was halfway to my feet when Alastair grabbed me from behind and slammed me down flat on the table. He snatched the dagger out of his injured hand and plunged it into the table next to my head. He gripped my throat with his other hand and then stooped over me, his face flushed with rage.

“You will pay for this,” he said, raising his ruined hand between us. “And so will your Alucard.”

I clawed at his hand, his wrist, trying to punch him, but he simply squeezed harder until I couldn’t get in any air and the room blackened around the edges of my vision.

Darkness fell and took me with it.


	12. The Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastair has you and Alucard, and his plans are nothing short of deadly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for some violence, non consensual blood drinking, and general creeper vibes from Alastair.

Pain woke me.

I lay on my side across something soft, maybe a couch. The pain had been in my right shoulder—an icy hand clamping down over it and squeezing so hard that my collarbone creaked dangerously. I yelped as I was thrown back into consciousness and my eyes popped open, my body tensing defensively all over. Before I even saw where I was, I tried to roll off the couch, but I couldn’t move well. My arms were bound together with zip ties, as were my ankles. The invading hand gripped hard so I couldn’t roll and then slid beneath my chin, tilting my head back. I saw the upside down smirking visage of Alastair.

“Welcome back, little fox.”

I bit his hand as hard as I possibly could.

“Ow!” He ripped his hand back and shook it. I threw myself to the floor and tried to wriggle towards the stone steps I could see to my right, but I didn’t get far. He snatched me up by the waist and dragged me back to the couch, this time squeezing my ribs. I cried out in pain and curled into a fetal position, too hurt to try anything until he let me go.

“Do that again and I’ll break your rib cage apart,” Alastair snarled. “Be still.”

“Fuck you!” I shrieked. “I swear to God, if you’ve hurt Alucard or Bram, I’ll kill you myself. With my bare fucking hands.”

Alastair chuckled. “My, my, you don’t hesitate to show your fangs when cornered. But don’t fret. I’ve not killed your sweet Alucard.”

He grabbed my chin again and pointed it towards the far wall.

And that was when I saw the cage.

The stone basement we appeared to be in had no carpet or light fixtures; just a bare bulb over us and then another inside the section of it that had been turned into a cage with silver bars across the twenty square feet. Alucard lay with his back to me. His pale blue dress shirt had blood soaked into it, slowly drying into dark splotches, his golden hair mussed and dampened with it as well. He had curled into the fetal position, unmoving, just twitching every so often. My heart clenched painfully.

“What have you done to him?”

“Is that pity I hear?” Alastair spat. “Your precious Alucard killed three of my friends during the abduction.”

I swallowed hard, trying not to let it show on my face just how that made me feel. “You left him no choice. This is your own doing and no one else’s.”

“Lies,” he growled. “Alucard took what was rightfully mine. And so I will do the same.”

The vampire whistled. “I know you can hear us, son of Vlad. Why don’t you take a little peek to see what kind of predicament your beloved donor is in right now?”

Alucard’s voice came out hoarse and shaky. “Leave her alone. She has done nothing wrong.”

Alastair dragged me across his lap. I struggled, but then he clamped his hand over my throat. I choked, my eyes filling with tears. I scratched at his wrist and forearm, but I couldn’t get loose. A choked sob escaped me and then Alucard rolled over to face us. His face was half covered in blood and he had a black eye, but as I watched, it slowly began to heal itself, as did the cut on his scalp. Anger shone through his amber eyes even from across the room. “Let. Her. Go.”

“No,” Alastair said with a petulant sneer. “You cross me and this is the result. I will take everything from you, son of Vlad. And you will watch me do it.”

He finally let go of my neck. I gasped greedily for air, panting rapidly in relief. He scooped me up in one arm and pinned me to his chest. He brushed my hair away from my neck and then it hit me. No. God, no.

“If you touch her with a single fang, I will rip you in two,” Alucard snarled.

“Mm, she smells so good,” Alastair purred, inhaling the scent of my skin. I shoved against his chest, but I couldn’t get any leverage; he was far too strong. “No wonder you’re so infatuated with her.”

He gathered up my hair in one hand and yanked my head back. “Hold still or I will snap your neck, little fox.”

He bit me. It was nothing like the slight pricks that I had felt when Alucard fed. The pain speared through my neck and down into my muscles, burrowing into my skin. He’d barely restrained himself, biting too deep, hitting more than just a layer of skin. I refused to cry out in pain; I bit my lip to strangle the noise so he couldn’t hear it. Alastair’s tongue swept lazily over my skin to lap up the blood. He made an utterly perverse sound as he did.

“Sweet as summer peaches,” he drawled with an ugly laugh. “You’re just as delicious as you look. Worth every day I’ve waited to exact my revenge.”

Behind us, Alucard roared. The metal bars clanged as he threw himself at them. I heard a sharp hissing sound, much like when I’d stabbed Alastair’s hand. The bars were pure silver; they would burn Alucard same as any vampire. “Let her go! Fight me yourself, coward!”

“Oh, but I am, Alucard,” Alastair said with a slurp, licking his bloody lips. “Everyone knows that you have nothing to live for. You would throw your life away in an instant fighting an enemy. But your fragile little human heart just can’t bear the thought of someone you love being taken from you.”

He wiped the edge of his lips with his thumb and then sucked it clean of my blood. “I’m going to kill you, Alucard. Slowly. Painfully. But first…I’m going to break you.”

Alastair’s cold eyes flicked down at me. “My darling, have you ever seen a vampire go feral before?”

I said nothing. He shook me, yanking painfully on my hair, which jarred my neck. I forced myself to respond. “No.”

“It is most distressing,” he continued. “In fact, that’s the purpose of this very basement where we are right now. This cage was built to hold feral vampires until such a time that someone could get them what they needed. It’s unbreakable. Alucard may be one of the most powerful vampires alive, but it comes with a price. You see, he expended quite a lot of magic fighting and killing my friends and healing his wounds. In fact, that is why I waited until now to strike. I knew that he would present me with just the right opportunity.”

Alastair stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers. “And so I am not going to kill you, sweet thing.”

He smiled coldly. “Alucard is.”

I stared up at him, my eyes wide, as I realized what he was getting at. Alucard would have fed on me last night after we captured Alastair. Which meant…

He was about to turn feral.

Alastair yanked me to my feet. I thrashed in his arms, screaming bloody murder, trying to fight him, but with my arms and legs bound, I couldn’t do anything. He carried me towards the cage door and withdrew a key from his pocket. Alucard made to charge towards us, but Alastair hissed. “I’ll break her neck if you come one step closer.”

He froze in place, his hands turned to claws, hell in his eyes as he glared at the vampire before him. Alastair unlocked the cage and tossed me inside it. I hit the ground hard on my side. Alastair locked the cage again and straightened his tie, brushing himself off. “There. And now the show begins.”

He sauntered back to his couch at the other end of the basement and sat comfortably, his chin in his hand, predatory satisfaction on his features.

“Are you alright?” Alucard asked quietly, not moving a muscle.

“No,” I whispered, slowly pushing on my hands until I was at least sitting up.

Alucard swallowed hard. “Can you stop the bleeding?”

I grabbed my left sleeve and tore it off, wrapping it around my neck in a makeshift bandage. “Best I can do for now.”

“Good.” He turned away from me and stumbled over to the stone wall, pressing his forehead against it. “I am so sorry, my dear. I should never have asked you to become my assistant. My donor.”

His voice came out a bare whisper. “My lover. My friend.”

“You didn’t know any better,” I murmured. “Neither did I.”

Alucard’s clawed hands dug into the stone wall. He dragged them down, down, down, his breathing slow and deep, as if he were trying to meditate, but he couldn’t stifle the urges rising inside him one precious minute at a time. Those claws dug furrows into the stone, but they weren’t the only marks there. I could see dozens. I shuddered. How many vampires had been locked down here before? And where was here? Was there any chance that Bram and Trevor had been able to follow Alastair? Were they even still alive?

“What happened?” I asked, hoping to buy time by distracting him.

“An ambush,” he said absently. “When I went to follow you, his friends attacked. I told Bram to go after you, but one of his friends must have intercepted him before he got there to help. I assume the same of Trevor.”

His breathing quickened. I kept very still. He lowered himself to his knees and his claws shrank back into regular nails. He wrapped his arms around his middle and crouched there, gasping for air, shaking. He shook his head, whispering to himself, “No, no, no” over and over again. Pained groans began to escape on every other breath.

“Not her,” I heard him say, quiet as the grave. “Please, not her.”

In a flash, Alucard disappeared. A second later, an enormous white wolf stood in his place. It bared its fangs at Alastair and then charged the bars. I scrambled against the far wall, watching helplessly as he rammed the bars over and over again, his thick white fur singed in the spots where it touched the silver. He roared in pure frustration when the bars would not give and then turned to the stone wall instead, scratching it with his claws and throwing every inch of his strength into the blows. Pieces of concrete tumbled down from the wall and ceiling, but nothing else moved. We were trapped.

Alucard reformed into himself and his breathing became even more ragged. He kept shaking his head, muttering, “I can’t” in a mantra that scared me to the core. He pressed his forehead to the stone floor and pounded it with his fist, until a crack appeared, bloodying his fingers. He was trying so hard to resist.

I licked my lips and swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Alucard, listen to me.”

He stilled where he lay. I took a deep breath and kept going. “You are not going to hurt me. You are not going to kill me. Do you know why?”

Slowly, his eyes opened. I saw such pain. Endless pain. He was suffering so much trying not to give in to monster lurking inside of him. “Because you trust me. Because I trust you. You are the strongest person I have ever met. You will not let him win.”

Tears streaked down his pale face. “You truly believe that, don’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes, I do. I believe in you, Alucard. I believe that either we die together or not at all. I believe that you will not allow him the satisfaction to get what he wants out of you or me.”

“You don’t understand,” Alucard whispered. “How could you understand? How could you see the truth when I have gone through such great lengths to hide it from you? To hide the true nature of what the son of Vlad Tepes is capable of. I could never be the monster that my father was, but I have taken lives before many times.”

He pushed to his knees and stared at his bloody, burned fingers. “These hands that have held you so tenderly through the night are wet with centuries upon centuries of blood. Human blood. I have tried so hard to do good and to rebuke the bloodthirsty nature of what I am. But it lies beneath, waiting.”

Alucard shut his eyes. “It calls to me. Your blood. Your life. It is begging me to take it.”

He opened his eyes. They were no longer gold, but red.

Blood red.

Alucard crawled towards me. His body moved with a kind of unnatural grace, as if he were still that white wolf in human form, inching towards me. I dared not move. It was now or never.

He flattened his hands on either side of my head, trapping me against the wall, his long legs on either side of me. His lips remained parted, exposing those pearly white fangs. He stared at the bandage around my throat, licking his lower lip, his breathing shallow and excited.

“Your scent is intoxicating,” he whispered as he leaned in closer and closer until I could feel his hot breath against my cheeks. “Like fragrant wine. I am so parched, my darling.”

Slowly, I reached up and cupped his face with my bound hands. Tears of my own spilled down my cheeks. I had never felt such fear. Ever.

But I knew better than to let it control me.

“You won’t kill me, Alucard. I know you. You are a good man. You have a good soul.”

He tugged the bandage from my throat, staring hungrily at the blood slowly drying on my neck and collarbone. He met my eyes again. “How do you know I will not kill you?”

“Because you love me, Alucard.”

The scarlet magic that had filled his irises suddenly blew out like a candle. His eyes returned to the beautiful gold I had come to know so intimately. He stared at me, lost somewhere between disbelief and awe. “I…how did you…?”

“I wouldn’t still be alive right now if you didn’t.”

Before Alucard could reply, Alastair let out a disgruntled groan. “Screw this Hallmark channel bullshit.”

He rose and drew a pistol from inside his suit jacket, striding over to the cage. Alucard shielded me just before Alastair opened fire. Two of the shots hit Alucard in the back, another grazing his side. He collapsed on top of me limply and the dam of fear inside me finally broke.

“No, no, no, no!” I rolled him onto his side and offered my wrist to him. “Alucard, stay with me! I’m right here. Please, just stay with me. Please, I don’t care if it kills me—you need my blood or you’ll die.”

His eyes were just barely open as he took weak, wet breaths and pushed my arm aside. “N-No, my love.”

“Alucard, please, I can’t let you die this way,” I begged. “Please take my blood.”

“Shh,” he whispered. “Have no fear. The cavalry is here.”

I blinked through my tears. “What?”

Alucard gave me a small smile and then pointed at the ceiling. I followed the direction he’d pointed in and saw a large, orange, glowing circle in the concrete above our heads. A second later, a hole the size of a manhole cover appeared and I saw a pretty olive-skinned redhead standing on the floor above us, her fingertips glowing the same color with powerful magic.

“I can see them!” she said. “Go!”

Trevor Belmont tossed a rope through the opening and slid down, landing on his haunches beside us. He wore all black with a Kevlar vest and took a stance in front of us, pointing a Beretta at Alastair. “Hello there. Missed ya last time, you slimy git.”

“No!” Alastair cried. He whirled around and tried to bolt for the stairs using his vampire speed, but then Bram appeared on the landing. He held a Kukri in one hand and had an enormous sword strapped to one hip, his eyes exuding pure murder as he slashed off Alastair’s gun hand. The vampire screamed in agony and scrambled backwards in fear, crab-walking away from him.

“Thought you saw the last of us, did you?” Bram said, advancing after he’d kicked Alastair’s severed hand and gun back towards the couch. “You fucked with the wrong people, maggot.”

Bram flattened Alastair with a kick to the chest and then rifled through his pockets, finding the key. After cutting off my restraints with a knife from his boot, Trevor caught the keys as Bram tossed them through the bars and then unlocked the cage. He slid one of Alucard’s arms over his shoulder and lifted him as carefully as he could, helping me carry him.

Bram unhooked the sword from his hip and offered it, scabbard and all, to Alucard. “I thought you’d want to do the honors, Tepes.”

“You thought right,” Alucard said. His hands could barely wrap around the pommel as he drew the blade free. He raised the sword to Alastair’s throat, but it tremored so badly that I wrapped my fingers around his hand to steady it. He gave me a look of utter gratitude and then faced the cringing vampire on the floor.

“Death or surrender,” Alucard said. “Your choice.”

Alastair clenched his jaw, but managed to ground out, “I surrender.”

“Smart lad,” Trevor said. Then he kicked Alastair in the side of the head so hard that the back of it bounced off the bars of the cage and he flopped over unconscious to the ground. Trevor then spit on the floor beside him contemptuously. “Coward.”

He then hefted Alucard again as I sheathed the sword and gave it back to Bram. “How much time left before—”

“Minutes,” Alucard rasped. “If that.”

Trevor nodded. “I’ll do it. Bram, take her home. Sypha and I will look after Alucard.”

I shook my head. “No, Trevor, I should be the one to—”

“No,” he said firmly, his blue eyes hard. “You don’t know what it’s like when they feed at the near-feral stage. He could drain you dry if he’s not careful and you’re not strong enough to subdue him if he goes overboard.”

“But—”

“Go home,” Alucard said, his hair shielding his face from me, but I knew the anguish in his tone. He didn’t want to send me away, but he felt it necessary, even after all we’d been through together. “Please, darling.”

Trevor touched my shoulder, his expression softening. “I’ll take good care of him. I promise.”

I squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Trevor.”

I let Bram lead me away from that dark, awful place and back into the light.


	13. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alucard take time to heal and you realize it's time to tell him the truth.

Three agonizing days passed. Then I received a call from Trevor.

I rang the doorbell to their nice two-level house on the city outskirts, fidgeting nervously as I waited. I had no idea what to expect. Trevor had been rather brief—but I suspected that was just his personality in general—when he told me to meet him, not mentioning anything about Alucard over the phone. I’d been staying with Bram for the last three days, not wanting to rattle around in Alucard’s suite without him. He hadn’t called or texted either, which made the wait so much worse.

The door opened. All the blood drained out of my face at once.

Trevor’s left arm was in a sling. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, which meant that I could see the outline of what had to be an incredibly painful bruise underneath a large, thick bandage on his neck. He had faded red marks around his throat as well; the kind reminiscent of being strangled. I knew since I had a matching one across my neck from Alastair.

“Oh, Trevor,” I said softly, my eyes tearing up.

“It looks worse than it feels,” he admitted with a small smile.

“It looks like hell,” I said, crestfallen.

“Oh. Then yeah, that’s about right. But don’t cry for me, girlie. I knew what I was getting myself into. It’ll heal. Dry those tears and come on in.”

I walked inside and he shut the door, locking it behind me. It was warm within the house with candles lit here and there as he walked me into the den. The olive-skinned redhead I’d seen during the rescue sat on the loveseat sipping tea, her blue eyes brightening as she spotted us.

“Hello, dear,” she said in a friendly tone, offering her hand. “I’m Sypha Belnades. How are you feeling?”

“Hello, Sypha,” I said as I shook her hand. “I’m okay. The wound’s healing slow, but it is healing. Besides, it’s nothing compared to what poor Trevor had to go through.”

“I’ve had worse,” he said, sighing as he plopped down beside Sypha. “Trauma is trauma. You’ve been through an ordeal; there’s no need to try to downplay it. We’re glad we could help keep you safe.”

“I greatly appreciate it. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t saved us.”

Sypha winced. “Yes, the feral state of a vampire is an ugly one. If it goes untended to for long, some of them never return from it. We were fortunate to get to Alucard just in time.”

She tapped her mug. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please, if it’s not any trouble.”

“Not at all,” she said warmly. Sypha glided into the kitchen and returned with a steaming mug of green tea, a spoon, and a little jar of sugar. I stirred in a bit of sugar and sipped, happy for the brief distraction, before returning my attention to the pair.

I took a deep breath before speaking again. “How is he?”

“Tired,” Trevor said. “Well, that may not even do it justice. He’s…weary. Confused.”

“I don’t blame him. He’s been through so much.”

“He feels guilty for getting you tangled up in all this and he’s not sure where to go from here. I’ve tried to get him to talk, but he’s not ready. We’ve been taking it slow and letting him have time to himself, though not too much. I wish I could tell you how long it will be before he’s ready to see you, but we honestly don’t know.”

“He was scared for you,” Sypha said. “And he still is.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I understand. He needs time. I’ll be alright in the meantime.”

Sypha touched my hand gently. “It’s okay if you’re not alright. It was hell for you, same as him. We wanted to offer you our friendship. We’re here if you need us, always.”

“That’s very kind of you, Sypha, but I already owe you my life. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

She squeezed my fingers. “You didn’t ask. We offered.”

I squeezed back. “He’s so fortunate to have you in his life.”

“Not just us,” Trevor said, something of a sly look slipping onto his features. “We’ve never heard Alucard talk about someone the way he talked about you.”

I blushed and glanced down bashfully. “He’s talked about me?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“W-Well, as one of his former donors, you know Alucard tends to get attached.”

“Oh, I know that all too well, but there is definitely something special about you.”

“Stop teasing her,” Sypha fussed.

Trevor chuckled. “It’s all in good fun. It’s not like she doesn’t have it just as bad as he does.”

I blushed harder and buried my face in both hands, which made him laugh again. “Am I that obvious?”

“You might as well be Times Square, love,” he said cheerfully. “Giant neon signs that say, ‘I’m infatuated with Alucard.’”

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. “Thanks, Trevor.”

“You’re welcome.” He winked at me. “But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Having been through it myself, I get it. Sypha’s right; I’m only teasing. If you haven’t been honest with him about how you feel yet, then you should tell him the truth.”

“I can’t,” I muttered miserably. “That violates our agreement. I wasn’t supposed to get emotionally invested in him.”

“That’s like getting in a kayak to go white water rafting and expecting not to get wet,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Of course you got invested in him and he in you. It’s natural.”

“But being in a relationship is different from our arrangement. I’m not even sure that’s what he wants from me.”

“You need to find out,” Sypha urged. “It’s not fair to hold all that inside and worry. You owe it to yourself to share your feelings with him.”

“But if it doesn’t work out, I…” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t be able to work for him any longer if he says he doesn’t want a relationship. I like the work. I like working with him. It would taint everything.”

“That’s the risk you have to take. This could be the real thing. People search their whole lives for it. You deserve that chance.”

“I’m scared,” I whispered hoarsely.

Sypha touched my chin lightly so I’d look at her. Her blue eyes were kind and achingly sincere. I could tell why Trevor fell in love with her. “You’re right to be. Love is terrifying.”

She glanced at Trevor, smiling. “But it’s worth it.”

“Damn right it is,” he said.

I sighed. “Okay. When he’s ready to talk, I’ll tell him the truth. I just warn you; if he doesn’t reciprocate, I’m coming after you both.”

They laughed in unison. I finished my tea and stood. Trevor and Sypha walked me to the door. I hugged them and they wished me luck. I was glad they did.

I was going to need it.

* * *

Three days later, I was in bed reading one of Alucard’s memoirs when I heard a knock on the door to Bram’s guest room door. I put a bookmark in between the pages and shut the book. “Yes?”

The door opened, revealing Bram.

And Alucard.

I scrambled out of the bed in a panic and tried to smooth down my rampant bedhead. “Some warning would have been nice, Bram.”

He smirked. “Knowing you, you’d make an excuse not to accept our visitor. I’ll accept the consequences.”

Bram leveled a serious look at Alucard. “Be advised: if you break her heart, I’ll sever all of your limbs off.”

“Bram!” I cried.

“What?” he sniffed. “Honesty is my eternal curse.”

Alucard nodded to Bram. “Understood.”

“Good.” Bram shut the door behind him as he left. I gripped the hem of my oversized t-shirt to give my hands something to do so he couldn’t’ see them trembling. I’d been trying to prepare what to say to Alucard for days, but I hadn’t quite gotten it down yet.

“Y-You look well,” I stammered nervously. He wore a plain white dress shirt and black slacks, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and the first button undone, no tie. His skin no longer seemed so unhealthily pale. His golden hair appeared freshly washed, falling around his broad shoulders in its usual graceful waves. His expression was hard to determine; somewhere between thoughtful and worried.

“Thank you. You do as well. How is your neck?”

I touched the bandage absently. “It’s not too bad. Sore, but the pain is fading.”

“Good. How is the office?”

I smiled faintly. “They miss you, but we’re managing okay. I’m surprised you’re not going stir-crazy being off for two weeks.”

“I admit I have little spells where I am,” he said, smiling as well. “But I had a lot to reflect on, so I decided to stick with the time off.”

He gestured to the edge of the bed. “May I?”

“Yes, please do.” Alucard sat. I sat as well, a polite distance away, but still within touching range.

“Trevor and Sypha told me you stopped by the other day. I am sorry I was not ready to see you then.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. You were still healing and I’m sure you had a lot on your mind.”

“I know, but I did not want to make you worry.” Alucard exhaled, sorrow entering his features. “My dear, I am so sorry for what you have suffered. I am sorry that you have suffered because of me. I never meant for any harm to befall you. I never meant for you to see just how monstrous vampires can be.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But please don’t blame yourself. Everything that happened is a result of choices that I made. Everything has consequences. And…”

I swallowed hard. “Honestly, getting to be with you for a time was worth the wounds.”

“You are too kind,” he whispered. “I have taken advantage of that kindness time and time again to feed my own selfish needs.”

I forced myself to look up at him. “And you think I haven’t?”

Alucard winced. “No, I simply mean that I have asked more of you than I believe I should have.”

“It was still my choice to go along with it. I wanted what you wanted every step of the way.”

“You are certain you never felt coerced?”

I arched an eyebrow. “No one’s ever coerced me into incredible sex before, Alucard. Not even you.”

He blushed slightly. “Good, then. I just wanted to be sure.”

Alucard folded his hands and stared at them. “My dear, I…there are many things I wish to say. But it is difficult for me to say them without first knowing how you feel. I do not want you to feel pressured or influenced by my words.”

I nodded. “I understand. I do have a tendency to want to take care of you instead of myself. I promise not to do that any longer.”

“Very well.” He took a deep breath. “I have not been as honest with you as I promised that I would be. I apologize for breaking my word to you. The truth is that I…”

Alucard shut his eyes. “I am in love with you. I do not know how I fell so quickly or so deeply, but what you said back in that cage was true. You possess me. I have not been able to stop thinking about you. I do not think of you simply as my donor or my employee, but my friend. For that reason, I am more than willing to sever ties with you if you do not feel the same. I will immediately find you an equivalent position with equivalent pay at another company and I can even provide a referral letter to be sure that you will be taken care of—”

He stopped talking when I kissed him.

Alucard inhaled sharply in surprise, blinking at me as I pulled back and cupped his face in one hand. “Alucard, you are the smartest dumb person I have ever met.”

“I beg your pardon?”

I smiled, and tears dripped down my cheeks as I did. “I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with you. I broke my word to you, too.”

“You did?” he whispered.

“Yes. I love you, Alucard. Despite how stupid and trite and impossible it is, I still love you anyway. I don’t care how hard it gets. You’re worth it.”

Elation filled those beautiful golden eyes. He kissed me back passionately, wrapping his arms around my waist. He bumped his forehead against mine and smiled. “My only regret is now I have to deal with Trevor and Sypha saying, ‘I told you so.’”

I laughed. “Don’t forget Bram. I think everyone knew about it but us.”

“So it seems.” He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “I do not mean to impose if you’d rather stay here, but—”

I grinned and stood, holding his hand. “Let’s go home, Alucard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter on its way.


End file.
